


Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot

by DBSommer



Category: Dirty Pair (Anime & Manga), Iria: Zeiram the Animation
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:54:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 182,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24517273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DBSommer/pseuds/DBSommer
Summary: The Dirty Pair encounter a being from Kei's past which causes her to call in some help.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

A Dirty Pair/Iria: Zeiram, the Animation fic

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot

Chapter 1

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Version 1.1, now with revision.

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The stars slid past, streaking across the front viewscreen like a swarm of raindrops striking the windshield on a high speed drive on an open highway, propelled across the surface until trickling out of sight off the edge only to be replaced by others at the front once again. Despite the hundreds of times Yuri had witnessed the spectacle, traveling through hyperspace made a slight thrill run down her spine. Not that she would admit such adolescent feelings to anyone, especially her partner.

"We'll be coming out of hyperspace in about twenty minutes," Yuri announced, turning her head partially around so that her voice would carry down the passageway that led from the bridge towards the interior of the 'Lovely Angel.' Somewhere in the recesses of the ship Kei was ostensibly cleaning up debris, but in reality was lazing around while portraying the illusion of work. Or so Yuri assumed, since that was Kei's usual method of operation.

A groan of stressed metal and a light hint of ozone filled the recycled atmosphere of the Lovely Angel, seemingly in response to Yuri's pronouncement.

"Okay, if we hold together, we'll come out of hyperspace. How's that?" she qualified softly to the ship.

Apparently the ship found it unsatisfactory as the sound of circuitry shorting out reached Yuri's ears. The noise seemed to come from the corridor that Kei was currently working in. "What was that?!" Yuri cried out in alarm.

"I'll check it out," Kei shouted back in a much calmer tone than her partner.

Despite the reassurance, Yuri turned in her seat, keeping one eye on the controls and the other trying to catch a glimpse of Kei, who was floating around in the zero gravity of the ship. "Why don't you come up here and pilot and let me take a look?"

"I said I'll check it out," Kei snapped in irritation.

Several moments later, the sound of cursing and metal being hammered reached Yuri's ears. She felt something uncomfortable shift in the pit of her stomach. Oh yes, Kei's training in the 'Hit It With a Big Blunt Object Until It Starts Working' school of engineering was going to end up dumping them in outer space and kill them. At least Yuri would know it was all Kei's fault and not hers. There was something reassuring in that.

After several more strings of colorful curses, Kei shouted, "I think it was the Kahrome-5T circuitboard that was fried. That's not important, is it?"

"Nothing major." Yuri released a long sigh of relief. "It controls the water supply, though. If it's blown, we won't be able to take showers. And we'll probably have to drink that awful beer you brought with you if we get thirsty." Yuri had tried a can of the yellow-green colored fluid earlier on the trip. It tasted like battery acid. Badly brewed battery acid. Naturally Kei drank it like it was water. She probably could subsist on battery acid if she had to with the way her liver had been abused over the years.

"Ah, hell. I'm a mess. I was planning on grabbing a nice hot shower after I was done cleaning up. Ah, there's that tool kit."

Yuri heard the sound of tools being moved around behind her, which made the hackles stand up on the back of her neck. "Why don't you come up here and fly while I go back there and fix the circuitboard?"

"I can do it. It's a simple repair job."

The statement received a sad shake of the head from Yuri. "You're about as mechanically inclined as a drunk baboon, unless it's an object that can be used to shoot or blow up something else."

"Hey! Just because I have the ability to shoot straight, unlike some people who shall remain nameless, doesn't mean I can't replace a lousy circuitboard. I'll show you."

The sounds of a heavy object being thumped against metal reached Yuri's ears. Kei was remaining true to form, choosing to beat some poor piece of machinery with a heavy object. Actually, that tended to be Kei's first response to men that annoyed her as well. And people they were trying to arrest. And...

Kei's triumphant shout interrupted the ever growing list. "Ha! All finished. I told you I could replace something as simple as that. It was a piece of cYAHH!"

Reflexively, Yuri hit the auto-pilot button and jumped out of the pilot's seat. Using her legs, she kicked off the back of the chair and floated as quickly as she could into the corridor beyond. The smell of ozone and other acrid scents permeated the stale recycled air. Yuri hit a junction and headed to where Kei should have been, praying her partner was all right, if for no other reason than to yell at her for screwing up once again.

As Yuri grabbed a bar, bolted to the wall specifically to turn the corner in zero gravity, and used it to change her mid-flight direction, Kei finally came into view.

Yuri's eyes narrowed. "Please tell me you weren't stupid enough to grab both the positive and negative poles at the same time."

"So that's what the plus and minus signs meant, huh?" A small puff of smoke escaped Kei's lips as she spoke. Her skin, of which there was a great deal showing given the revealing nature of her uniform, was now almost completely singed from the slight charring she had taken from the charge.

Yuri was much more ladylike in her swearing as she surveyed the damage to both ship and 3WA agent. "Congratulations, Kei. Now the whole system is burned out. Looks like you're going to have to use that beer of yours to shower with, not that you don't usually splash enough of it all over yourself when you get loaded."

Kei had always thought it was remarkable how Yuri could carry an "I told you so," underlying in any sentence. Her raven-haired partner once managed to insert one into a "Would you please pass the salt?" Kei always thought it a pity that skill couldn't be listed on a personnel file. It would have done Yuri proud.

"Quit bawling," Kei chided. "We're almost to the space station. I'll just grab a shower there." Feeling significantly better, and finally noticing her scorched state, she propelled herself down the corridor toward her room. Twenty minutes would give her just enough time to change her ruined clothing. Maybe wiping her face off with a beer soaked washcloth wouldn't be a bad idea either. Then she could see if she had a trenchcoat to cover herself up, at least until she had a chance to properly shower.

Kei was outside the door to her room when she noticed that Yuri was following her. "What're you doing?"

"Oh, nothing," Yuri said casually, trying not to show any concern for Kei.

The blatant deception was impossible to manage around someone who had been her partner for over a decade "I'm fine," Kei assured her. "I didn't take that much amperage. No more than, fifteen, twenty at the most."

"Kei, that's enough to kill most people!"

"Good thing I'm not like most people then." Kei laughed as she entered the room and she shucked off her blue top and bottom in favor of a different blue top and bottom. It wasn't worth the hassle to try to figure out what else to wear. Besides, they were traveling openly as 3WA trouble consultants and were supposed to introduce themselves to the station personnel in official uniforms. She couldn't find a regulation trenchcoat, but unless one of the station commanders was a cute guy, looking dirty wouldn't matter.

Just as Kei finished putting on her top, she felt the light caress of fingers gently play across the small of her back. The cold touch surprised her, and she let off a yelp as she turned in anger on Yuri. "What're you doing?"

"Hold still," Yuri admonished as she spun Kei around and examined her back more closely. "It looks like you took a nasty cut. I didn't notice it before because your other outfit covered you rear end better."

Kei felt the small, partially healed line right above her bottom. "Oh, that. Riggers nicked me with a vibro-blade. Nothing major. I nicked him worse." She had lopped his head off with her trusty Slashmaster-2000. There was nothing quite like a molecularly sharpened blade to slice through one's everyday psychotic cyborg's titanium neck.

"It's noticeable," Yuri warned. "You'd better have that professionally worked on when we get to the station. Wouldn't do to have a scar there, especially since the pounds you packed on to your backside call attention to your butt." She gave Kei a playful smack to her rear, then stuck her tongue out and mocked her.

Kei spun in anger. "Well at least my waistline didn't blow up four inches since we started the mission!"

"But I can lose the weight in a couple of days, unlike you. And it's only two inches, not four." Yuri was surprised to see Kei pout in her direction, then head out of the room without another word.

Yuri was left staring at where Kei had been. As impossible as it seemed, apparently her partner had been offended by the remark. That made no sense. The duo had ragged on each other about their looks since they started their partnership. It was always in good-natured fun. While Yuri knew that she was definitely the more attractive, charming, and smarter of the pair, Kei was no slacker in the looks department. Certainly she had never reacted so seriously about a casual jibe like that.

Before Kei gained too much of a head start, Yuri quickly exited the room and caught up to her partner. "Look, I was kidding about the big butt. You don't look any bigger." Not much, anyway.

Kei grabbed a handhold and stopped her flight. She turned and gave a sad look towards Yuri. "You don't remember what yesterday was, do you?"

The question caught Yuri off-guard. "I thought it was the day we completed our assignment by preventing General Golgotha from stealing over a dozen interplanetary radioactive atmosphere missiles and using them to threaten star systems." True, one had accidentally gone off and sort of blown up one of the major cities of Nansite-4, which made most of the continent uninhabitable for the next thousand years, but it wasn't their fault: the 3WA Central Computer said so.

"It was my birthday." There was an edge of bitterness in Kei's voice.

"So?" Yuri shrugged. "You've had plenty of birthda..." The words died on her lips as the point Kei was trying to make finally hit home. "Oh geez. I forgot."

"Yep. The big 'double three'." Kei became even more despondent. "The years ARE starting to take their toll on me Yuri. For the first time in my life, I feel old. I still ache a little from the mission. The only guy that really worked me over was that poster boy for genetic enhancements, Shezwan. Oh yeah, I was shot out of a battle suit too, but that hardly counts. I mean, there was a time I could have taken someone emptying a whole magazine of high velocity rounds into my impact armor and not felt it a couple of hours later. Now I get a rooftop blown out from under me and my knees hurt until the next day from taking a twenty foot fall.

"It gets worse. Did you know that on my last drinking binge I woke up with a hangover that lasted more than a couple of hours? And I didn't even have more than a pair of six packs at the most. And maybe two or three mixed drinks as well, but that's not the point. I never used to get hangovers. And then there's the men. Not one guy hit on me this entire mission. Not even that sleazy-looking lieutenant with the planetside police. There was a time when I had to beat them off with a baton, and I don't mean like that gang of guys on the Alatiar mission that were hopped up on that sexual enhancer drug. Lately, I hardly get hit on at all. And when the guys do occasionally flirt with me, they aren't good-looking. Most of them are downright ugly. I'm not getting any younger, Yuri, and one of these days I do intend to settle down. Really. But what sort of guy am I going to be able to snag if I ain't got it anymore?"

Finished with her confession, Kei seemed to deflate as her shoulders slumped forward. She felt spent after uncharacteristically speaking so openly about her fears. But now, with everything having been explained, she waited to hear the words of consolation Yuri would have to share with her. She watched closely as Yuri open her mouth and said...

"Oh my god! That means I'm going to be thirty-three in a couple of months too. I'm going to be almost as washed up as you. WAHHH!"

Smile twitching, Kei grabbed a floating lug wrench and moved towards her partner.

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"You're sure that wrench was floating on its own when it connected with the back of my head?"

"Just shut up and get us out of hyperspace!" Kei tilted the can back and took another gulp of beer.

Yuri rubbed the back of her head, where the noticeable lump was, as her free hand moved deftly across the controls, and she brought the ship out of hyperspace. Assuming the navigation computer still worked correctly, they would drop out of hyperspace slightly over five hundred kilometers from the space station. From there they would be escorted in by traffic control and placed in a docking bay for repairs. The Lovely Angel really needed it this time. The final battle with General Golgotha's Warkon Heavy Cruiser had taken them to the limit. The Lovely Angel had emptied its entire stores of missiles, had most of its armor burned off, and suffered over thirty percent structural damage. About all that was left working were a couple sets of short range lasers, communications, regular engines, and the hyperdrive. Even the refrigerators were broken, meaning Kei was left to drink warm beer, which, combined with her birthday blues, had made her temper even fouler than usual.

The ship emerged from hyperspace. Yuri was relieved that they had dropped out at the point they were supposed to.

From where they materialized, Yuri could see the space station hanging in space directly in front of them. The station itself was unremarkable in appearance. A standard deep space DX-11000 unit, constructed and owned by Yurenex-Solvar Corporation, who controlled approximately twenty percent of the space station manufacturing industry. Its basic design was that of a giant, gunmetal gray top, constantly spinning in deep space as though it was a giant wheel. Having a ten kilometer diameter and fifteen kilometer height, it was a self-sustaining facility that could contain and provide for hundreds of people without difficulty. According to the reports Yuri had glanced over, this station had suffered no problems and served admirably since it was christened five years ago. It was unremarkable in every way.

Yuri activated opened a channel to the station. "This is the Lovely Angel, requesting clearance for a landing in one of your docking bays, over." She transmitted their ship's registration to the station.

After thirty seconds, Kei said, "Shouldn't they have sent some sort of reply by now?"

"Maybe our communications system went down?" Yuri ran a diagnostics scan on the system. "No, it says everything's okay. Unless the diagnostic program is malfunctioning too."

"Maybe their communications are down?" Kei offered.

"That's a fully functional space station, Kei. It might be a bit out of the way, but it has a full crew of over a hundred, plus over three hundred residents, plus whatever guests are there on layovers. I sincerely doubt that they don't have a single working communication system somewhere on their entire station."

"Okay, smart-ass, so why aren't they responding?" Kei said through half-lidded eyes.

Yuri shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know. But in any case, once we get closer, they'll deploy some ships to escort us in." To prove her point, Yuri activated the Lovely Angel's engines and began to slowly draw closer to the station. They pulled within fifty kilometers and there were still no attempts at communication, nor did any vessels come out to greet them.

"Okay, something really weird is going on," Yuri muttered under her breath. "What do you think we should do?"

Kei considered that for all of two seconds. "Grab some big guns out of the armory, get on board that station, find out what's going on, and shoot anyone that tries to shoot us."

"Sounds like a plan." A typical Kei plan, which Yuri couldn't argue with at the moment. There was something to be said for the direct approach. She guided the ship closer.

Cautiously cutting across the kilometers that separated the Lovely Angel from the station, Yuri and Kei divided their attention between the ship's sensors and a visual inspection of the station itself. As their instruments indicated, there were no outward signs of what could be causing the problems. There were no holes in the station or debris from fighter craft. No indication of Minvinsky Particles to jam communications. Everything outwardly appeared normal, yet there was an ominous inactivity about the spinning wheel of metal floating in space.

"It looks like they still have main power." Kei pointed at the many exterior station lights that cut through the darkness of deep space.

"True, but it still feels..." Yuri trailed off.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. It feels like a lot of places we've visited after we leave them," Kei agreed.

The pair traveled in silence as they drew closer to the exterior hatches leading to one of the numerous docking bays that lined the middle of the station. They matched speed with the rotation of the station, and waited for any sort of response. If anyone was manning the main bridge of the station or within the docking bay, they would be aware of the Lovely Angel's presence and open the bay doors to allow them entry. A forcefield would automatically come on line to prevent the station from losing atmosphere, while at the same time still allowing the spaceship to pass through and land. Despite the precautions, the interior of the bays were reinforced to withstand atmospheric decompression to protect the rest of the station's atmosphere, leaving it intact. Even if they had to blast their way in, landing wouldn't cause any problems.

After waiting outside for a full minute, still nothing happened.

"We could shoot our way in?" Kei offered.

Yuri shook her head. "Only as a last resort. I want to see if the other docking bays are the same way."

Kei let out a long drawn out sigh. "Okay. But I'm telling you it's just a waste of time. They're all going to be like that."

Two bays later, Kei continued grumbling at Yuri's, "What was that about a big waste of time?"

As they cautiously approached the bay, they saw that the thick metal doors leading into it were already open to outer space. That was unusual. The bay doors were only supposed to be opened for craft that were actually in the process of landing, since, regardless of a forcefield, most people felt uneasy being next to the vacuum of space with only a dull haze of blue separating them from instant death. Many people insisted on wearing spacesuits no matter how little time was spent in the bay.

Maneuvering in front of the opening, they saw that its force field was still up and that atmosphere was still be in the bay. "Odd," Yuri mumbled.

Kei activated a close up on her sensor array. "It looks like the exterior locks were disengaged and manually opened from the outside."

"Well, that saves us the trouble of doing the same," Yuri said. It was yet another sign that something was wrong, since anyone opening the bay from an exterior lock could easily be overridden by anyone inside the bay.

Yuri eased the ship into the station. Inside, there appeared to be nothing out of sorts. It was a standard landing bay that could have been identical to a thousand she had visited. A number of ships were berthed on the floor of the area: several smaller private vehicles, an expensive looking yacht, and a couple of cargo haulers, one about twice as big as the other, possibly an ore hauler. Fuel lines, tools, docking clamps, and an assortment of standard equipment that one would expect to find were all lying in their proper places. The only thing it was devoid of was people.

With practiced ease the Lovely Angel touched down on the deck without incident. Before exiting their craft, Kei and Yuri did a sensor sweep of the bay. The monitors reported no anomalies of any kind and breathable atmosphere. A visual inspection proved the same.

Both of the agents walked slowly down their landing ramp and exited the craft. Kei opted to carry a heavy laser rifle while Yuri was satisfied with her side-arm to provide protection. The duo held both of their weapons at the ready.

"No signs of fighting," Kei said as she continued looking for any signs of trouble.

"No bodies either." A feeling deep in Yuri's gut told her that they would discover no clues in the docking bay. Instincts said that the answer to the mystery lay somewhere within the main part of the station itself. Cautiously, she took the lead and headed to the doors exiting the bay, waving her hand at Kei, indicating she should follow.

As Kei stepped over a set of fuel tubes, she said to Yuri. "Well, at least there's one good thing about all of this."

"What's that?"

"No one can blame us for this one. Whatever's going on here happened before we arrived."

Yuri nodded her head in agreement. Not that that little detail would prevent others from accusing them anyway.

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"What the hell is going on here?!" Kei's shout cut through the palpable silence of the made the station feel more like a tomb than a functioning deep space habitat. The first fifteen minutes of their search yielded absolutely nothing. No people. No announcements or warnings. No robots wandering around. All of the signs indicated there wasn't a single person left on board the station. Admittedly, the pair were searching slowly, having only making their way to the shopping district located along the center of the station, but they should have heard something or found some sign of what had happened.

The only things their search had uncovered were occasional signs of people leaving in a hurry: several overturned, cold meals at a restaurant, a tool box that appeared to have been dropped with no one picking up the mess, a sidewalk painter's wares left out in the open. There was even someone named Youshi Ghetter who had left her purse laying in the middle of one of the sidewalks. Her money cards were still in it, meaning no thieves were around to lift any valuables on it.

"Maybe there was some sort of mass evacuation," Yuri offered.

Kei looked at her incredulously. "Without leaving a repeating SOS signal or at least a distress buoy? And you saw all those ships in the docking bay. No way. Maybe some people left in a rush, but not all of them."

Kei raised a good point, Yuri admitted to herself. "All right. Enough of this. Let's split up and cover more ground that way. I want to get to the bottom of this quickly. Whatever's going on here couldn't have happened all that long ago or we would have heard something about it already."

"Aren't you worried about not having enough firepower in case you run into trouble?" Kei held her rifle affectionately before her, then pointed at Yuri's pistol at smirked.

Yuri smiled back. "Unlike you, I don't need to fire fifty shots to hit one target." She waved the pistol around, then turned serious. "If you run into any trouble, any at all, call me over the communicator, and I'll come running."

"Same goes for you."

Over ten years of being partners allowed each to know what the other would do automatically. Having complete confidence in each other's abilities, neither bothered to look back as they separated and began their individual searches.

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"Hello! Are there any kidnappers, aliens, or just plain unpleasant people in here?" Kei called as she peeked around the corner of one of the long corridors leading from the residential section to the engineering facility. For over half an hour she had searched the station and still had uncovered nothing. Judging by the lack of communication from Yuri, she was suffering from the same. Kei was beginning to wonder if this was all some sort of elaborate trap designed to capture or kill them. There were a handful of powerful people they had crossed that might have engineered the situation somehow. That seemed to be the only thing that made any sense at that point.

Kei was more than halfway down the corridor when she discovered the first signs of what might have happened.

She touched her earring comlink. "Yuri, I think I got something here."

There was only a moment's pause for the reply. "What is it?"

"Scorch marks in the metal of a hallway wall here. Maybe from an incinerator. Pretty recent too. I also have several impact points near it. Got to be from some kind of solid projectile firearm." Kei placed a hand next to one of the holes and measured it with her fingers. "We're looking at about a five centimeter hole. Big piece of artillery made those."

"Sounds like something up your alley," Yuri remarked.

"Yeah. What it doesn't sound like is something that would be standard issue for defense forces on a station this size." Kei looked more closely at the placement of the holes. "Another weird thing, not many of the holes are below two meters. There aren't too many people that would try to headshot something using a cannon that big. Especially not at close range."

"Which means?" Yuri asked.

"I don't know, other than whatever they were shooting at was tall. No sign of blood or pieces of metal from a battle suit or anything. I guess they didn't hit whatever they were aiming at. Be advised though, we might have a problem on our hands."

"Got it. Want to regroup?"

"Nah," Kei said. "Just because they have a big gun is no cause for alarm. Let's keep searching separately. Just scream in terror if you run into trouble." Kei returned to her search, more cautious now. The search took longer due to her wariness, but Kei figured it was still moving along a lot more quickly than if she was dead.

As she peered around what was supposed to be the last turn to her destination, watching carefully for any quick or furtive movements, a thought suddenly occurred. Generally, the engineers in charge of the engineering room would have made brief status reports every six hours on the readings from the power core and any other anomalies that might have occurred. If she could find that report, she could get a general idea of when whatever it was that had made everyone disappear might have occurred.

Kei was halfway down the last hall when Yuri signaled over the comlink. There was an edge in the dark-haired woman's voice. "Kei, listen up. I just made my way down to one of the emergency shelters. I figured that if there was some sort of accident, this was where they might have gathered, and maybe they got locked in or something. Maybe that's why they couldn't get to us or-"

"Yuri, you're rambling," Kei warned. That was cause for concern. Given some of the things the duo had experienced, it took a lot to disturb Yuri.

"Sorry, it's just that I was right."

Kei spoke excitedly into the comlink as she continued towards the power plant. "You mean you found the people on the station?"

There was a pause, followed by, "Yes, but not the way you mean. When I got there, I saw that the doors had been ripped out of their tracks. The metal was torn to shreds near the bottom. And I mean torn, not blown up. Kei, those things are made of tririteam alloy six inches thick. Even a Ki-Wan Heavy Powersuit with modified strength enhancements couldn't break through that."

"That doesn't sound... good," Kei confirmed.

"That's not the worst of it." Yuri's voice hesitated a moment before continuing. "Kei, there were people inside. At least a hundred. It's hard to tell, they... most of them were torn to pieces. Some of them looked like they were blasted by some high powered energy weapon, and some looked like they were cut with a blade, but most of them were simply pulverized by something with tremendous strength. It looks like a slaughterhouse in here. I have no idea what could have caused it."

Kei paused as she arrived at the entryway to the engineering section. "I think I see what you mean about tremendous power." Kei brandished her rifle in the direction of the doorway.

"What do you mean? What's going on?"

"Looks like whoever dropped by to visit those people came calling here too. The door leading to engineering's been ripped out and tossed aside too. There are grooves in the shape of fingers etched in the metal itself. Whatever did this was a strong son of a bitch, all right."

"Wait there, Kei, I'll catch up to you." The sounds of running feet on metal came over the comlink.

"Negative," Kei said quickly. "Just hold on until I have a chance to check the room. Just because it was here too doesn't mean it still is. It might have hit here first and then moved on to where the people were hiding, or gone somewhere else, like back where that firefight took place. There are other shelters where you are, right?"

"Yes." Yuri admitted. "But I have a better idea. I'll go up to the main bridge and see if I can bring the sensor systems online. An internal check should tell us if there are any survivors or not. If nothing else, I'll try sending an SOS so that we can get some reinforcements and try to figure out just what the hell happened here. How does that sound to you?"

"Good plan." Kei knew she could have come up with one just as good as that, at least if she hadn't been distracted by having to search the room.

Now that she and Yuri had a course of action, Kei decided to enter the room. First she trained her gun on the door frame and looked through the opening. There was nothing visible from where she was, but her view was severely limited by the shape of the room and the position of where the door was in relation to it. Drawing closer, she dared to peek inside, ready to duck back under the cover of the wall next to her. The brief glance afforded her a look of everything on ground level in the large chamber. Several bodies were visible from her position, but judging by their condition, they wouldn't be moving anytime soon. There was no other indication of anyone alive.

Moving almost too fast for the eye to follow, Kei quickly darted past the doorway and fully into the room, ready to fire upon anything at a moment's notice. She looked up at the second level of computer controls for a split second, then turned back to the first level of the room.

There was no reaction to her intrusion, relaxing Kei ever so slightly. The barrel of her gun dipped to the floor as she approached one of the nearest bodies to examine it more closely. From where she stood, it appeared he had died from having his head smashed in as though it were nothing more than a ripe grapefruit that someone had tried to peel using a sledgehammer, but she wanted to make sure. There was the potential for some sort of clue on the body. After a quick check, she could take the time to search the computer for its update logs and try to solve the mystery.

She was poised above the body, and about to nudge it over with her toe -since there was no way she would risk getting blood on any other part of her body or outfit- when a heavy weight landed in the middle of her back. The impact was hard enough to slam her into the ground, knocking the wind out of her as the object remained perched directly on top of her.

As she tried to roll to get the thing off her back, she could feel it move as though it were alive. Her suspicion was quickly confirmed as a man's voice, cracking high with stress and the hint of something else, shouted, "Die!"

Her attacker must have been on the upper level, hugging the floor and just out of her sight, waiting until she had been in the right position. It served her right for being sloppy in her search. Now she had to do something, and fast before her attacker disabled her, or worse.

Exerting every ounce of strength she could muster, Kei freed her left arm far enough to bring it forward, then back, elbow first, into where she thought the man's solar plexus would be. As the elbow sunk into something firm, yet with a bit of soft give, she heard a grunt from behind. Knowing she only had seconds to use the opportunity, Kei raised her head and started to adjust her body positioning as best she could in order to gain enough leverage to force the man off her back. Just as she raised herself up enough to force a deep breath back in her lungs and almost force the man off her back, Kei saw something silvery flash across her line of vision and then below it, touching briefly against the metal floor. Reflexively, she brought her hand up in front of her throat just in time to feel something press against the side of it. The contact was quickly followed by something sharp cutting clean through her blue glove and into the flesh of the hand beneath it.

Biting back a cry of pain, her mind quickly identified what the weapon was: a garrote. Even after many centuries, a slender length of wire was still used as a basic method of silent execution. Simple, yet effective, the device frequently went unnoticed in a galaxy full of high-tech weapons of destruction. Only fools or professionals still used them, and Kei had a terrible feeling about which category her opponent fell under.

If the wire had managed to loop around her throat, she would have been dead within several seconds as it cut through the soft tissue of her throat and windpipe. The fact that it had only sliced through the flesh of her hand meant she had a chance. Shutting out the pain, an experience she had plenty of familiarity with, she used every ounce of flexibility she had and brought her right leg up so that the heel was on the floor and pushed off. Hours of painstaking exercise, in combination with the man's poor position straddling Kei's back, paid off as she managed to flip over on her side, though the man was still attached to her back.

Just as Kei was about to reposition her body again to work herself free, she felt the man's legs lock around her lower torso, nearly catching her free arm as well. The grappling attack gave him enough leverage to counter the move she had been planning to use, as well as enabling him to keep up the pressure on the garrote: definitely a professional. A good thing for Kei that she was one too.

Years of service and countless hand-to-hand fights enabled Kei to maintain her composure. She was less than a second in reacting to the shift in the fight. Her free hand came across her body and managed to grab onto the handle of her pistol that still rested in her holster, though by the side of the grip so that she wouldn't be able to fire it without adjusting its position in her hand first. Rather than waste her time trying to change the grip on the pistol, and being vulnerable enough to risk losing it, she brought the gun back. Visualizing where her opponent's head should be, and hoping he wasn't wearing some kind of headgear, she lashed out awkwardly behind her. There was a moment of satisfied resistance as she heard a brief yelp of pain come from behind her and the grip on the garrote go limp.

The split second was all Kei needed as she forced her lacerated hand forward, and ripped the garrote out of the man's grip, sending it flying across the chamber. She rolled to the left even as the wire with attaching handles flew across the room, and finally managed to force the man off her back before the weapon had hit the ground.

Kei caught a glimpse of her attacker as she tried to stand up. He was no taller than her, and probably only twenty kilograms or so heavier. He was dressed in a tight black body suit that hugged his wiry frame, showing taut muscles lying underneath. There were several tears in the outfit: signs of a recent of a vicious fight. He was helmetless, with a dried streak of deep crimson decorating the right side of his face that resembled a form of primitive facepaint. The handle of a knife stuck out from a boot sheath, but no other weapons were visible.

The man was rolling to his feet even as Kei regained her own precious footing. Seeing this, Kei gave a slight twist of her wrist and released her hold on the gun, giving it a very slight toss as she did so. Lightning fast, her eyes calculated the position of the gun in mid-air and grabbed it properly by the handle so she could fire it in an instant. She brought the sidearm to bear and pointed it in the man's direction.

His reactions were equally as fast as he brought his arm up in a sweeping motion and struck Kei's wrist, deflecting her aim and causing her shot to sail past the right side of the his head. There was a spray of sparks as it struck a nearby computer bank. Following through with the motion, the man gained a secure hold on her wrist and used his slightly greater mass to drive Kei off-balance, sending her body backward into one of the walls.

"You won't liquidate me just because I failed, bitch! I won't let you!" The man's words, only the second spoken since the fight had begun, seemed to invigorate him. He slammed Kei's wrist once, then twice, against the corner of the wall where it met a control panel whose lights flickered off and on like a Christmas tree. The second blow knocked her weapon loose and it sailed out of her hand, landing across the console several feet away.

Kei's reaction was instantaneous as she brought her right arm up and connected with a blow to the jaw. His grunt of pain was joined with one of hers as she was forcibly reminded of which hand had been the one to take the brunt of his earlier attack.

As the man bent for a moment to draw the knife from his boot, Kei could see the look of sheer terror in his face. It wasn't the type she was used to, even when she identified herself and people would shout, "OhmyGoditsoneoftheDirtyPairrunforyourlives!" It was one that she had seen before, but far more rarely. It was the sort of glazed gaze one gained when staring straight into the mouth of hell and even in managing to escape it, one would still never really get away since the experience would always be with them. Death or drugs were the only escape from it.

The man swung wide with the knife, a cut meant to disembowel his opponent as it slashed towards her abdomen. The second slash came in high and Kei deflected his aim by striking his knife arm. His free arm came up, catching Kei in the side of the head with a meaty fist. The redhead shook off the effects of the blow in time to avoid the straight knife lunge aimed at her head. A fourth swinging cut was avoided, but Kei found herself backed against the wall, her options suddenly limited.

Originally Kei had been hoping to capture her attacker alive and interrogate him, which was why she had chosen to evade until she could find an opening to disarm him. Now lacking the room to properly evade, she was going to have to end it quickly. Kei gauged the man's distance and stance. So far he had been a bit sloppy with his knife work, either thrown off by his mortal fear or just inferior training with that particular weapon. The time he caught her with his fist had been more of a testament to luck rather than skill. Now it was time to finish it.

The man had enough coherence to realize his opponent was backed against a wall and went in with a swipe for the throat, hoping Kei would foolishly try to back away only to be caught off-guard by her close proximity to the wall and meet her end. Instead, Kei brought her arm up and caught the inside of his wrist with the back of her hand. She stepped forward, away from the wall and towards her opponent, spinning on her heel and bringing her elbow upward. It was the man who was caught off-guard as he was unable to block the move when Kei brought the point of her elbow up and caught him in the throat, crushing his windpipe instantly. For one moment, he looked deeply into Kei's eyes, and then a wave of peace washed over him as consciousness passed and he fell limply to the ground, never to wake again.

Kei backed a handful of meters away from her attacker before his body hit the ground. She remained on guard, cautious about the man returning to his feet despite the fact she delivered the blow perfectly and by all rights the man was dead. There had been far too many occasions when someone she was certain was dead turned up alive, usually quite angry with her from trying to kill them, even if it was in the line of duty or self-defense and they had it coming.

Her fears were unjustified as the man remained motionless on the ground. Kei recovered her sidearm, suppressed the urge to put a few laser shots into his remains -since she might accidentally fry a clue- and took several steps forward to nudge the body with her foot. The instant the tip of her blue boot touched the side of the prone figure, she darted back quickly, just in case he tried grabbing onto her foot. That had happened on more than one occasion, and it always freaked her out, even after all of those years.

With no movement from the body, she gave it a swift kick outright. Not gaining a reaction for the second time, she bent low, keeping her gun at the ready. Turning the body over, she searched for the man's pulse and found nothing. Bearing his entire weight on her back earlier, she knew there was no way he was a robot in disguise or some kind of cyborg; he was far too light. He had to be dead.

Confident the man would not be causing her any more problems, Kei began a more careful examination, eager to discover some hint as to what was going on. His body was in good shape, though not excessively muscled. The man had possessed a wiry strength that had been difficult to overcome. He was in his late twenties or early thirties, estimated by the look of his face. His hair was cropped short to the scalp, and he bore several faint, old scars on his face. Kei wagered there would be even more on his body. He had seen a good bit of action in his life and wasn't vain enough to have them removed. Judging by the several obvious and more recent wounds on his body, mostly lacerations across the torso and arms that she had not given him, the man had been in a fight shortly before encountering Kei. A difficult one, given how deep several of the gashes were. Not all that recent though, as the blood was mostly dried and several of the wounds bound.

The uniform and the material it was made of shouted out some kind of affiliation with either a military or para-military operation, though there were no identifying markings indicating what outfit the man belonged to. That would also explain her opponent's hand-to-hand combat expertise. Not too many people could go one-on-one with Kei nowadays and last as long as he had, even with getting the drop on her. A quick examination showed his ammunition belt and pockets were empty. Either his weapons had been taken from him or he had ended up in a high powered firefight. In either case that had been a stroke of luck for Kei considering the man had tried to kill her. Someone trying to strangle you was better than them trying to blow a hole in you, as Kei was fond of saying. Those sorts of injuries were the hard ones to come back from. There seemed to be no other clues on the man, not even a tattoo.

A professional, one that had run into something, or multiple somethings, tough enough to injure, disarm, and drive the man mad, if the look in his eyes had been any indication of how fragile his sanity was. That made it something that Kei had no desire to run into, not with the shape she was in.

Kei took a moment to closely examine herself for any injuries. The only major one was to her hand. The wire had cut all the way down to the bone and she was still bleeding profusely. She ripped off part of the man's outfit and wound the material around her hand, binding the wound. It was a rough bandage that wasn't nearly as effective as a proper medical skin patch, but it would have to suffice until she came across a first aid kit. Pain was something she had become used to long ago and just about anything short of having an important body part lopped off or over a fifth of her bones broken wasn't going to stop her.

Seeing nothing else of use on her assailant, Kei went to touch her earring communicator and contact Yuri. As her hand went to her left earlobe, she discovered only the upper half of the device still pinned to her ear, rendering it inoperable. Apparently it had been broken at some point in her scuffle with the man.

With a sigh Kei ran out of the room and headed towards the command center. If there was one attacker, there might be others. And then there was whatever had harmed the guy in the first place. Yes, knowing Yuri, without a partner to keep her in check, she would almost certainly be up to her neck in trouble and it would be up to Kei to bail her out. Yuri was so irresponsible.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Typical of Kei to lose her earring. Now how am I going to know when to show up to save her butt when she gets it put into a sling because I'm not there to keep her out of trouble? She's so irresponsible," Yuri mumbled under her breath as she continued heading to the station's main bridge.

It was at about the halfway point between the shelters and the command bridge that Yuri had stumbled across the first body in the corridor. Head smashed in and body nearly severed in half. More cautiously now, Yuri made her way through the station, keeping her gun held high. It was only a little farther down the corridor that she came upon two more bodies, one looking like someone had stuck a grenade in his stomach, and another that was missing several noticeable items, like his arms, legs, and head.

That put Yuri really on edge. Multiple people had to have been involved in the sneak attack. There were way too many bodies that had died in a variety of horrific manners. At least a squad, maybe even a platoon of commandos or something similar. Apart from the wholesale slaughter that had transpired on board the station, Yuri just knew that she and Kei were going to be blamed for this one, even though it really, really hadn't been their fault this time.

Yuri was nearly to the bridge when she stumbled across another scene of carnage. Yet more bodies lining the corridor, though this time there were a multitude of them. There was another significant difference besides the number of corpses: these had been armed and still were. Judging by the damaged state the section of corridor was in, the group had the opportunity to fire a lot before being destroyed by their opposition.

Though torn to shreds, Yuri was eventually able to identify the tattered remains of the uniforms as belonging to the same group. It seemed to be a variation of a standard security force's outfit that would be found aboard the space station. Examining the area that had been fired upon more carefully, Yuri saw that there were indeed a multitude of impact craters and scorch marks, enough to indicate concentrated fire in that direction. There were no bodies nor any indication that the men had hit what they had been aiming at. Like at the battle scene Kei had described earlier, there was no blood, nor even a stray piece of metal knocked off a battlesuit.

"What the hell were they shooting at, and why didn't they hit it?" Yuri said aloud, wanting to hear someone's voice, even if it was only her own.

She turned around and returned to examining the remains of the security personnel. There was something odd about some of them. Choosing one of the bodies, She looked more closely at the face, or what remained of it. Her trainers at the academy would have affectionately referred to it as a 'righteous mess.' The right half was missing, allowing the contents inside the skull to spill out onto the floor. A less experienced agent might have expelled the contents of their stomach at the sight, but for Yuri, dead bodies in just about any state was business as usual. Especially since she had personally made a lot of those bodies dead.

Bending even lower, Yuri squinted her eyes and peered at the edge of the remaining flesh around the face. The damage to it was uneven, and it looked like the wounds around it were in semi-circles, almost as if...

"Oh, gross! I hate cannibals." It took Yuri a second to reevaluate that. The bite marks were way too small to have been done by a human. Perhaps some sort of animal.

It was only the faintest of sounds, nothing more than a whisper on air that most people would have thought as nothing more than something loose in the air reprocessing system rattling around, but years of battle-honed instincts caused Yuri to spin in a circle and bring her laser pistol lined up to fire. She could feel the presence of someone behind her, and since Kei could move about as silently as a tank with a broken tread, that meant it was someone else sneaking up on her. At this point, almost certainly a bad guy.

As Yuri spun, she aimed at the center mass for where a person of average height would have been standing. Instead, her pistol pointed at nothing but the wall far away. There was a moment of confusion until her peripheral vision caught the pink-colored thing, that had been low to the ground, propel itself at her.

As it went airborne, Yuri caught a good look at it. It was small, no larger than a meter across and a meter and a half long. It possessed four stubby, yet powerful legs, and a pair of long, almost tentacle like arms that ended in a pair of all too human hands. The body of the creature was bright pink, the sort most people associated with gifts purchased for a new born girl, and was covered with small, spherical bumps over every inch of it. However, the most disturbing thing about the monstrosity was its head, which seemed to have been simply mashed onto the body with no consideration of where a proper anatomical feature should have been placed. The face held two sets of eyes, one human looking, the other compound like the sort that was found on insects. Three mouths of various sizes were scattered everywhere. One was on its forehead, another where an ear should have been, and the third on the side of what should have been its jaw. The only thing that was consistent about them were the sets of sharp teeth that adorned both tops, bottoms, and in one case, sides.

Yuri lashed out at it with her gun, not having time to aim and desperate to get something between her and pink monstrosity. Her timing was perfect as she got the side of barrel in front of her. The creature's proper set of jaws, which were coming for her throat, locked onto the metal instead. Yuri released the hold on her weapon and tucked into a ball, rolling away from the creature and returning to her feet a couple of meters away from her opponent.

The monstrosity spat out the gun, turning its body so that it faced Yuri once again. A high pitched scream emanated from two of its mouths while the third gnashed its teeth in Yuri's direction.

"The same thing was going through my mind, pal." Yuri pulled out a poker card from her boot.

As the creature squatted slightly, preparing to jump again, Yuri released the 'Bloody Card.' It closed the distance between her and the creature like a bolt of energy, going clean through the lump-like skin of the beast and back out the other side. As the creature bellowed out in pain, the card completed an arc and returned like a boomerang, going through the creature again, the return path taking it through the head, severing off a section of it that included a mouth. The creature stopped bellowing, opting to fall onto its side and shudder with death throes as the now literally bloody card returned to Yuri's gloved hand.

She recovered her gun, saw that the teeth failed to do more than mar the metal, then proceeded to shoot the creature several times. After convincing herself that it wasn't going to try to gnaw on her, like one of Kei's dates, she looked more closely at its multitude of mouths, including the one on the floor. They were all too big to have belonged to whatever it was that had bitten off the dead man's face. It had died easily enough and was definitely not what had attacked and killed all of those men. It was also impossible for it to have ripped through the metal of the shelter. A horde of such creatures might have been able to do it, which meant there was a good possibility of more of the monstrosities being around. Yuri became especially cautious as she continued on her way to the bridge, eager to get a sensor sweep started.

It was becoming more imperative than ever that she and Kei get together and discuss what they had discovered. It seemed impossible to Yuri that the creature could have occurred naturally. Animal biology was not her field, but it seemed unlikely that such a mismatched organism could have been the result of natural evolution. More likely someone was playing with genetic engineering, and in Yuri's line of work that generally meant really big trouble. Financing the genetic reengineering required to make that kind of creature was expensive, and that frequently meant a planetary government or big corporation was involved at some level.

The whole situation seemed to be getting bigger by the moment. Shut down stations, large numbers of dead people, genetically modified monsters, and that was only in the first hour. It looked like it was going to be one of 'those' cases again.

There were no further incidents as Yuri's arduous journey ended at the main bridge. She noted that there was an increased number of dead bodies as she drew closer to her goal, and not all of them had been eaten. In fact, the majority of them were either ripped to shreds or blasted by some type of energy weapon. At one point some sort of explosive had been used. That made it almost certain that a number of attackers were involved, in addition to an unknown amount of creatures. Yuri was growing tired of operating in the dark, and wanted to know what was going on immediately. She hoped the bridge held some answers for her.

Upon arriving at the command center, Yuri saw that the thick doors leading to the room had been forced open, the metal being folded back like it was aluminum instead of tririteam alloy. Looking at the doors more closely, Yuri thought they had been ripped open from the inside rather than out. The path of destruction might have started at the bridge? It would have made sense, she supposed. Taking out the command center first would have been the best tactical maneuver. After securing the bridge, the attackers would have had the time to kill everyone else at a much more leisurely pace.

Yuri entered the bridge, gun at the ready. The instant she was through the doors she saw several bodies slumped over their controls with a handful more lying on the floor near other stations. Only a couple appeared to have been in the process of running when they were killed. Curiously, there was little in the way of visible injuries on any of the bodies. Nothing like the ones that had been out in the passageways leading to the bridge. It was yet another mystery.

Walking over to one of the consoles, Yuri noted a small burn mark in the back of the crewman's head. Examining a second body sprawled out on the floor revealed an identical mark near the heart.

There was no sense wasting time examining the rest of them. Yuri was confident there were identical wounds to them as well. Whoever had killed these people had used a low powered precision laser to do it, meaning they didn't want any collateral damage to the controls. That left out the genetic monstrosities as the culprits. A far more intelligent creature was responsible for this carnage.

Yuri went to the commander's console and checked the status on the station. Immediately she noticed that someone had issued a level five contamination warning and broadcast it over the public announcement system. Now the lock down in the docking bays and the people hiding in the shelters made sense. A level five warning meant the possibility of a viral outbreak: instant quarantine. No one would be allowed to leave the space station under those conditions. Even the escape pods would have been locked down to prevent any possibility of the disease spreading off station. Only a handful of necessary personnel would have remained outside the shelters so that the station would continue to run until outside help arrived.

A quick check of the communication logs revealed that no emergency signal had been sent to outside authorities to alert them of the outbreak. Just as Yuri had thought, an artificially manufactured emergency would make killing everyone on board easier and prevent escapes. But that still left the question of why. The station was too big to hijack and there was nothing on it worth stealing to go to all of this effort and commit mass murder. There were easier ways to make a larger amount of money illegally, and why the need to kill everyone on the station? A fake massive radiation leak would have evacuated the people on board just as easily. In killing so many people, the 3WA would almost have surely been called in by Yurenex-Solvar for insurance purposes to find out who did this.

Yuri was still pondering the question when a hand fell heavily on her shoulder. She had been in such deep thought that she was taken by surprise and screamed, reflexively backing away. She tripped over the seat next to the console and fell hard on her backside.

"Hey there. It's just me. Relax." Kei laughed out loud at the sight of her partner.

Yuri returned to her feet and glared. "Don't sneak up on me like that! You're lucky I didn't shoot you. And why haven't you communicated with me in the last half hour?"

Kei fingered her broken earring. "Got jumped by someone that didn't like me breathing the same air he did. We resolved the issue, though."

Once Yuri had a moment to calm down, she visually examined Kei while being certain to show no open concern. Besides a bandage on her hand, Kei appeared to be all right, and Yuri wasn't going to ask about the wound if Kei didn't feel the need to mention it. "I had a run in with a genetic mismatch of parts. Had big teeth. They weren't as sharp as a Bloody Card though."

"Oh?" Kei asked. "Is this a big one, then?"

"Probably," Yuri said. "I think I figured out the how, but not the why of it. It almost looks like this whole thing was nothing more than an excuse to kill everyone on board the station. Now, if they had all died from some nasty bio-weapon, I might see it as some kind of twisted test on its effectiveness, but it looks like everyone was killed in individual ways rather than en masse by some sort of new weapon."

Kei nodded. "The guy I had to kill was definitely a professional. I could see him and a couple squads of guys like him being good enough to pull this off. But if he was one of the guys that hit the station-"

"-then why was he acting like the hunted instead of the hunter?" Yuri finished. "There's a whole lot going on here we don't..."

The sound of something heavy impacting with the metal plating of the floor outside in the corridor caught their attention. The noise wasn't loud enough for the plates to have crumpled under the impact, but it definitely implied that something very heavy had hit the floor. Both of the Lovely Angels looked toward the door.

"Did anyone follow you, Kei?"

"Not that I noticed." Kei fingered her laser rifle, bringing it in line with the doorway.

A second, louder impact followed the first.

"Sounds big," Yuri said, aiming her pistol at the doorway.

There was a third one, slightly louder and evenly spaced from the others.

"Footsteps," Kei said

A fourth.

"Something heavy."

A fifth.

"Not in a hurry to get here either."

A sixth.

"He probably thinks we're trapped. Joke's on him, though."

A seventh, and the sight of something large blotted out the lights from the corridor.

"We'll wait until he gets into the room, then blow him into pieces." Yuri saw Kei nod her head in agreement.

Yuri watched as the thing in the corridor bent low to enter the doorway to the bridge. It towered close to three meters in height. As it passed the remains of what used to be the door, it straightened up, allowing the duo to witness its full height. Sure enough, not only was it the height that Yuri had guessed, it was well over a meter and half across at its shoulders and torso. Draped across its shoulders, a tattered purple cloak reached halfway down its back. The thing had to weigh close to a ton, given its huge size and girth. It was a humanoid, but definitely not human. It had only two arms and legs, both huge and powerful-looking enough to rip apart six inches of tririteam alloy as though it were tissue paper. It was colored blackish-green, with an almost metal-looking skin that appeared hard and thick, even at the distance the thing stood from the duo. Rather than a normal head and neck, the creature had something more along the lines of a squat column that raised up from the top of its torso. Strangely, the giant didn't exactly have a face, but rather a continuation of the same coarse, mottled-looking skin that adorned its entire body. The only noticeable feature of the area was that about where a face should have been, there was a horizontal red slit approximately where eyes would be. There appeared to be no mouth, nose, or any other orifice where air would have been taken in.

However, by far its most notable feature was its hat, for lack of a better term, though it was clearly attached to the head rather than being headgear. It was a wide thing, perhaps two meters across and several centimeters thick, a blunt, rounded edge all around and apparently made of the same material as the rest of the skin. It made the giant creature look like some sort of demented, walking mushroom. The weirdest thing of all about the headpiece was a tiny, repulsive emblem that looked like a white face embedded in the brim. The emblem stood out, the snowy color a stark contrast to the mottled green of the rest of the figure. Of all the things that should not have been a part of the creature, that belonged least of all.

Yuri turned from the bizarre robot? Cyborg? Genetically recombined monster? Whatever the thing was, and said to Kei, "I'd say we have our first suspect here, wouldn't you?"

The moment Yuri saw Kei's reaction to the creature, she realized there was something horribly wrong with her partner. Over the past decade, Yuri had watched Kei stare down the barrel of a gun as big as her head, with a psychotic killer holding the trigger, and laugh as she enjoyed herself in the situation. She had been dumped out of airlocks without a spacesuit and still managed to keep her cool. Ship about to crash at a thousand kilometers an hour? No problem as Kei would fight desperately with the controls to prevent herself from decorating the landscape. They had even crash-landed in the middle of an active warzone, armed with only a laser sword and handgun, and still Kei's only reaction to the situation was to get angry at their prey getting away.

Kei's response to the giant was something Yuri would never have believed. All the color had drained from her partner's face, making her look like a ghost. Her eyes were wide, and held the look of sheer, primal terror as she gazed at the creature that stood there, motionless. It hadn't even made a threatening gesture towards either of them.

It was the first time Yuri had ever seen Kei absolutely terrified of something.

Words escaped Kei's lips; something too soft for Yuri to hear. "What was that?"

"You're dead," Kei repeated louder, directed at the creature and sounding more like it was for its benefit rather than Yuri's

Yuri was left to stare at her friend in confusion. "Kei, what are y-"

This time Kei spoke louder, shouting at the creature. "It can't be! You're dead! We killed you! Goddamnit, WE KILLED YOU!"

That made no sense. Yuri had never seen this monster before. Despite the numerous people and creatures she had killed over the years, she would have remembered something that big and ugly. Yuri grasped her partner by the shoulder and shook her, hoping to snap her out of the incomprehensible tirade. "Kei, get a hold of yourself. You sound like a SHIT!"

Despite Kei's weird behavior, Yuri had kept one eye on the strange giant the entire time. Now the thing was apparently done with its silent observation of the duo and proceeded to raise its left arm, pointing the appendage directly at the pair. Yuri saw that it had what appeared to be a large gun held not in its hand, but rather embedded in its forearm. At first glance it seemed as though some of its skin had grown over the weapon, fusing it to the flesh itself. The number of tiny barrels poking out of the one big one made Yuri worry even more.

She brought her gun up and pointed it at the giant. "Hold it right there, whatever you are! I'm a member of the 3WA, and you're under arrest!"

Seeing the declaration not make the giant hesitate in the least, Yuri prepared to squeeze off a shot, when Kei grabbed her by the arm and shouted, "It's too powerful! We have to run!"

There was no chance to protest as Yuri found herself hauled off her feet and pulled in the direction of a row of consoles that provided Kei and her with cover between them and the giant. Just as Yuri was about to be thrown behind the largest console, she felt something sharp pierce her thigh, making her cry out in pain. The shout was silenced a moment later as her head collided roughly with the floor, making the world a spinning carousel that only lacked wooden horses.

It took her a moment to recover enough to move. Yuri saw that there was a long, light blue metal spike embedded in her thigh. One end jutted out of the entry point while the other end had gone clean through to the other side of her leg. Jagged barbs, covered crimson with blood, were visible at the head of the spike, making its immediate removal impossible.

Yuri tried to shut out the pain and speak to her partner. From somewhere in the direction of the doorway, slow, inexorable footfalls resounded throughout the room, each impact causing the metal beneath Yuri to vibrate slightly. She watched Kei dart her head above the edge of the console and snap off a few rounds of her laser rifle. A second later Kei ducked back down, followed by the sounds of projectiles zipping through the air and striking metal.

Kei gave Yuri a panic-filled glance and babbled out. "It's not hurt! I was right! We don't have enough firepower to kill him! We have to get off this ship and get reinforcements! We're not going to die here! I won't let it kill me!"

"Kei!" Yuri snapped.

The shout seemed to shake Kei back to her senses, at least for a moment.

Yuri continued. "I'm hit, and it's not pretty. That thing must be using a needler of some kind. I can't get this spike out of my leg right now and as long as its in my leg I don't think I can run."

Her partner's injured condition seemed to help Kei focus on the present. Then the sound of a bolt being drawn back from somewhere behind them caught the redhead's attention. She darted her head over the top, then back down. "You'd better not have eaten that whole cheesecake before we left Lebonya."

Much to Yuri's amazement, Kei picked her up, effortlessly hefting her partner over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Keeping one hand on Yuri's backside and the other on her own rifle, Kei ran out from their cover and towards the far side of the room, in the opposite direction of the giant.

"What are you doing K-!" the rest of Yuri's statement was cut off as the console they had been using for cover disappeared in a scarlet explosion of fire and metal. Reflexively Yuri shut her eyes as the wave of heat washed over her and several tiny pieces of shrapnel pierced her skin. At times like these, she regretted not wearing one of the more formal, and body covering, uniforms like most of the other 3WA troubleshooters used.

With the initial wave of heat past, Yuri looked up through the smoke to see that embedded in the creature's other arm was a rocket launcher. One it was preparing to fire again as it started to track Kei's running form across the room.

Despite being shot, bleeding, and thrown around the room like a cheap date, Yuri had kept her hand on her laser pistol the entire time. She brought it up and began firing at the giant. Some of the shots missed completely, others hit the creature -though it seemed to take no notice of being struck- and one went where it was supposed to go: the top of the rocket launcher that was protruding from the arm.

The ruby colored bolt went through the top of the weapon, ruining the rocket launcher's ammunition feeding mechanism. After trying to fire the weapon a couple of times and receiving nothing but useless clacks, the giant flung its arm in a wide arc. The rocket launcher was released from the flesh and sailed across the room, bouncing off one of the consoles and coming to a rest on the floor.

Yuri saw the beast begin to step forward, taking huge strides that slowed the increasing distance between them. As it moved forward, it brought the needler in its other arm to bear, and suddenly Yuri felt very uncomfortable again. She looked over her shoulder to see how close they were to the exit Kei was taking them to.

Curiously, the exit seemed to have the texture of a solid wall.

"Kei what are you doing that's not a way out?!" Words poured from Yuri at a ridiculous rate, mostly due to the panic she felt as the needler was now lined up with them.

In answer to her partner's question, Kei lined her laser rifle up with the wall and opened fire. Yuri continued looking over her shoulder, which ironically was now forward, and watched as a thick, solid red beam of light poured from the rifle and began cutting a hole through the wall. The beam turned the metal yellow, then red an instant later before moving on as it traced a line from the base of the wall, up to a height of two meters, before arcing down again a couple of meters across from where it had started.

"You can' use your rifle like that! You're going to overload the powerpack and blow both of us up!" Yuri shouted as she began firing blindly at the giant, hoping to hit something vital.

"We have to chance it!" Kei announced as the metal of the wall melted through and the hole she was cutting was almost finished. As the whooshing sounds of tiny metal objects began whizzing through the air, the red beam touched the bottom of the wall, completing the semi-circle that Kei had made.

Yuri assessed the situation:

The semi-circle of metal remained exactly where it was.

The powerpack on the laser rifle began uttering a high-pitched whine, indicating it had overloaded and was going to explode within seconds.

Metal needles began decorating the wall that she and Kei were running towards.

There was only one thing left to do.

Yuri gave a prayer to the lord above and hoped Kei had led a good enough life to go to Heaven with her. The afterlife just wouldn't be all that enjoyable without her partner at her side. Also, she wanted someone to blame, and having them right before her would make things much easier.

Everything seemed to happen at once as a needle nicked Yuri's arm, causing a small trickle of blood to flow. Kei lowered her shoulder and ran right into the wall, knocking the piece she had cut out over and allowing both her and Yuri to fall through the opening to the corridor outside. As Kei stumbled from the impact, she lost her footing and tumbled to the floor. She used her free hand to toss her rifle back into the room she had just evacuated, then rolled away from the makeshift portal, flattening the attached Yuri in the process.

A moment later, an explosion rocked the corridor as a gout of energy and smoke bellowed forth through the hole, scorching some of the metal of the wall across from it. Once the explosion died down, the metal above the opening groaned loudly in protest to what had just happened. That lasted only a moment longer as the majority of the metal collapsed, effectively sealing the chamber once again.

Kei wasted no time as she hefted Yuri over her shoulder, then began running in the direction of the dock.

The jostling motion of Kei's run shifted the metal spike in Yuri's leg, making it difficult for her to concentrate, though not so terribly that she didn't try asking Kei to slow down. Attempting to distract herself from the signals of agony her leg was giving off, Yuri said, "Good plan, using the rifle like that to cut a hole in the wall and causing it to overload at just the right moment to collapse the opening behind us. I didn't think you were that smart."

Kei shrugged as well as she could with Yuri draped over her shoulder. "Actually, it was all luck. If that wall had been even a half centimeter thicker, we'd have been stuck in the room and atomized right along with the powerpack."

"You couldn't just pretend you knew what you were doing and put my mind at ease, could you?!" Yuri snapped as the adrenaline high from the fight started to wear off and the pain increased.

"Oh? Do you really think you should be complaining considering how much blood you're getting all over me?"

"Sorry," Yuri said weakly. The conversation died, as they continued fleeing through the station. The echoing footfalls of Kei's race cut through the now appropriate tomblike silence of the station. Eventually, the sound of Kei's increasingly labored breathing joined, making a bizarre sort of echo that disturbed Yuri almost as much as the creature that they had just fought.

After what felt like a sufficient amount of time had passed, Yuri finally asked, "What is going on here, Kei? What the hell was that thing back there?"

Kei huffed, turning a corner at the fastest speed she could manage while lugging the dead weight of her partner. After a minute had passed, and Yuri became certain that Kei was going to refuse to answer, her partner finally spoke. Her voice sounded hollow, while at the same time filled with dread. It was the first time Yuri had heard such a mix of emotions from her partner.

"That thing is an abomination that shouldn't exist. It's a walking, killing machine. That's all it does. That's all it wants to do. That's the entire purpose of its existence. It consumes the lives of all around it, even if its nothing more than a penniless orphan whose only wish was to get away from a guaranteed lifetime of stealing and poverty. It's a nightmare that I thought ended in gunpowder, energy, and flame nearly two decades ago. But it looks like I was wrong."

Now Kei's voice took on a note Yuri was familiar with, something she had never hoped to hear again. "That thing is going back to the hell it came from again, and I'm the one that's going to send it there."

It was the voice that promised death for someone, as well as whatever dared to get in her way to try to prevent the execution.

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Yuri went for the first aid kit onboard the Lovely Angel, pulling out the very long hypodermic that was going to pump her full of first rate pain killers and blood coagulants. As she mentally prepared herself to have the barbed 'needle' (which she now thought of in terms of a spear, given how much of it was currently buried in her appendage) pulled from her leg. She made certain that the hypospray that would seal the wound after the object was extracted from its bloody sheath was working correctly. It wouldn't do to remove it only to bleed to death on the deck of her ship, not when there were so many more spectacular ways for someone as daring and beautiful as her to punch her final ticket.

Yuri was thankful that they had such a chance to get rid of the spike. Their run back to the ship had been anti-climatic, for which she would be eternally grateful. Kei had remained silent after her declaration, and Yuri didn't press the issue. The giant hadn't accosted them again, and no other monsters or half-crazed mercenaries popped out to attack or impede their progress in any way. The only strange moment was Kei claiming she heard something moving through the ducts of the station, almost as though it were traveling through them in an effort to find the duo. Yuri hadn't heard anything at the time, but she had been feeling light-headed due to the pain and blood loss, and wasn't sure of anything, other than it sucked to be her.

Upon arriving at the space dock their ship was stored in, they were pleased to discover no one waiting to ambush them. The forcefield to the dock was still up, and the ship was in the same condition it had been before they arrived. Perhaps their attacker had thought their ship was already useless, given the dilapidated shape it was already in.

There was a brief bout of panic from their pet as Moogi saw Yuri's wound and became excited. He stayed next to Yuri's side as Kei placed her partner in the co-pilot's seat and started up the Lovely Angel. They exited the docking bay the same way they had entered, Kei remaining tense in case some of the station's defenses opened up on them. Nothing happened. Yuri wondered if their blowing up a good portion of the station's command center might have had something to do with it, though.

They had executed two micro-jumps once they were out of the gravity interference of the station. The first was to get them away from the station, the second was for them to change direction in case someone tried following the heading they had taken as they departed the area.

Shortly after the second micro-jump, Kei sent out a message using the deep space communication gear. That was during one of Yuri's worse bouts with the pain, and she hadn't been able to make out what Kei said. That wasn't much of a concern; she had more important matters to worry about than how her partner had worded the request for assistance she had sent to headquarters, like extracting the foreign object in her leg.

After an injection of painkillers, the pain subsided enough to allow Kei to help her partner float to their makeshift medical bay, the place they had designated they should go when wounded so they didn't bleed all over one another's belongings, and laid Yuri on her back. Moogi remained ever vigilant at Yuri's side, while Kei looked over her partner. Both watchers whimpered in sympathy, though Moogi did the better job.

Kei, now somewhat back to normal, fretted over her partner. "Have the drugs kicked in yet?"

"Make me a chocolate milkshake, Mommy."

Kei carefully examined the empty hypodermic Yuri had used. "I'll have to try some of that later."

She examined the inside of Yuri's leg with a hand held X-ray device. It revealed the shaft of the needle was clear of any other barbs. That would make removal easier. Some of nastier versions were covered with multiple barbs, as well as poisons. Yuri had been lucky in only getting a standard needle put through her.

Kei put down the device. "Hey Yuri, remember when Shasti tried to kill us by shooting us at point blank range with her gun, and all she ended up doing was breaking most of our ribs because of our armor?"

"Sort of," Yuri slurred. She had been on a date with the White Rabbit at the time, if she recalled correctly.

Kei put on a surgical glove. "Well it's not going to hurt as bad as that."

"Good," Yuri moaned. Moogi was turning fuchsia. What a nice color. She was going to dye Kei's hair the exact same way the next time her partner went to sleep.

"It's going to be a wee bit worse." Kei grabbed the barbed end of the needle, and pulled forward, bringing the rest of the shaft through the leg. Yuri's eyes crossed as the pain shot through her limb, then through the rest of her body, causing her to pass out.

With the hardest work completed, Kei hyposprayed the wound and watched the chemical work its magic by covering the injury and preventing it from further bleeding. Once a check of Yuri's vital signs determined she was in no immediate danger, Kei cleaned off the blood colored shaft and placed it in a metal tray next to the microwave. She then pulled up a chair and tried to make herself and Moogi as comfortable as possible.

Now all that was left was the waiting.

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The limp was barely noticeable as Yuri headed towards the airlock where Kei was already waiting. A quick look in the mirror had told her that her appearance was serviceable, if not exactly elegant. Given the hardships she had to endure in the last couple of days, she was simply grateful she didn't look like a drowned rat.

After passing out from her 'surgical procedure,' (as Yuri acerbically now referred to Kei's handiwork), she had been unconscious for nearly two whole days. She had only just come around a handful of hours ago, feeling like a gorilla had used her for a punching bag, before allowing Kei to have a few rounds with her for good measure.

Upon Yuri's shouting out what was going on, Kei had come running and embraced her friend warmly before informing Yuri that if she didn't lose a few pounds, she would find herself left behind next time. An aching back was testament to the 'nearly maximum density' that Yuri must have been pushing, or so Kei claimed. Luckily for the redhead, she had the presence of mind to remove all of the sharp instruments from Yuri's reach beforehand, and only had to suffer a bedpan between the eyes for her comment.

Convinced Yuri was feeling better, Kei informed her that they were going to have company in the next few hours and that her partner needed to clean herself up so that she would look good for their guest. Given her disheveled condition, Yuri thought she could use at least six hours and a full cosmetic kit to make herself presentable, but instead had to settle for two hours and some beer to wash the blood from her body. On the bright side, not only did Kei's crappy beer clean out the insides, but it did a damn good job on the outside too as the blood washed off easily with just a single wipe. The only thing Yuri lamented was that she smelled like a brewery, or like Kei on one of her dates.

Yuri was still in the process of making herself presentable when Kei shouted that their guest had dropped out of hyperspace and was approaching their ship. Yuri threw on some make-up to hide the dark patches under her eyes and headed for the airlock where Kei waited for their visitor.

Upon arriving, Yuri saw that Kei had cleaned herself up very well, almost as much as she would for a date with a hot-looking vacuum brain, Kei's favorite sort of man. The impatient glances Kei kept giving the airlock cried out that there was something suspicious about this meeting. Something very suspicious.

"You seem pretty anxious for a simple rendezvous with the other 3WA agents you summoned. Exactly how many did headquarters' send?" Yuri carefully gauged her partner's response.

Kei seemed to take an interest in the airlock control panels.

So that was the way it was going to be. "Kei, you did inform the 3WA of what happened, correct?"

"Not exactly," Kei murmured under her breath as she pushed several of the buttons, causing the lights to blink on and off.

Yuri's eyebrow began twitching violently. "Then exactly who did you call and who are we expecting?"

Much to Yuri's surprise, Kei went from the 'I got my hand caught in the cookie jar' look to one of serious intensity. Her eyes seemed to bore through Yuri. "Look, the 3WA doesn't know how to deal with this thing. Believe me, I've seen planetary forces bungle trying to take him out before. All it ended up doing was killing a lot of people." Kei paused a moment before continuing. "I called in someone that's had experience in dealing with this monster before. In fact, she's the one that killed him the last time around."

"Pretty frisky corpse," Yuri commented dryly.

"This time he's staying dead," Kei assured her.

Yuri was about to say more when she noticed something strange. Kei was wearing a short string of beads from her hair. It was tied to the back, out of sight until Kei turned her head and Yuri caught a glimpse of the dangling object. There was something familiar about the design. Not so much of it being familiar on Kei, but that Yuri had seen it from somewhere before. "What's up with the beads? You hate wearing those things."

Yuri was surprised to see Kei's mask of intensity slip as she fondled the beads affectionately. "This was a gift from the woman that's coming to meet us now. It was something she gave me when I first got to know her when I was growing up."

Kei was proving herself full of surprises today. Even after all of the years they had been partnered together, she almost never talked of her life before joining the 3WA. Yuri had always respected Kei's privacy and not gone digging for information. But now she was about to learn something without having to prod Kei. Remarkable.

Kei's eyes took on the distant gleam of one remembering the past. "She was basically the woman who raised me. She was sort of a big sister, mother, mentor, and friend all rolled into one. I owe not only my life, but everything that I am today is because of her."

Yuri resisted saying, 'So now we know who to blame for your crappy manners and violent tendencies,' the moment was too sentimental. Instead, she said, "You sound very proud of her. How come you've never told me about her before?"

Kei shifted uncomfortably. "When I was growing up, I always said I wanted to be just like her and follow her line of work. I even used to fantasize that we could be partners, like she had been with her own older brother. But once I got older, I felt, I don't know, trapped. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do the same thing she did, so I left home and struck out on my own, hoping to figure out what it was I wanted to do. It didn't take long for me to decide to join the 3WA, and aside from when we were first assigned to one another, I've never regretted it for a minute."

"Gee, thanks," Yuri commented dryly once again, not that she had felt any different the first time she had learned it was Kei she would be partnered with.

Kei seemed hesitant as she continued. "But I was always afraid she'd be disappointed that I didn't follow in her footsteps. I didn't think she'd be proud of what I've become, so I kind of...avoided her."

"For how long?" Yuri asked.

"Almost fifteen years."

"What?!" Yuri shouted. "You mean to tell me that you haven't talked to someone that all but raised you for a decade and a half?"

"You don't understand," Kei said, her voice filled with emotion. "She's one of the best people I've ever known. Even now, after all of the things I've accomplished on my own, I don't feel I measure up to her.

"But now everything's changed. Now this monster's back, and I have to overcome my fears and call on her again after all of these years so we can put this thing to rest for good. That has to take precedence over everything else. Everything."

The sound of another ship pulling next to the Lovely Angel and attaching itself to the side ended Kei's dramatic speech. Again the redhead shifted to nervousness as the instrument panel next to the airlock flashed red, then, after several minutes, changed to green, indicating a successful connection and transfer. All that was left was for the pressure to equalize between the two ships and the guest would come aboard.

After several seconds had passed, the airlock slid open and Kei let out a long breath, one she had been holding it since the instrument panel first lit up.

Yuri watched as a woman stepped out of the airlock and onto their ship. She was small, standing some three centimeters shorter than either of the 3WA agents, and somewhat slender, though with a very healthy physique that showed regular exercise to stay in shape. She was very attractive, though not beautiful, and bore a distinctive beauty mark located right below her left eye. Her face was that of an older woman, most likely in her early forties. Her eyes were those of someone that was full of life and ready to live it to the fullest. Her hair was short and brown, with a slightly unkempt look about it.

She wore a partial suit of white armor with a black form-fitting fabric underneath. The armor only heavily covered her upper arms, lower torso and legs, while the rest was mostly composed of open areas of the black material that would afford the woman the ability to move quick and freely. It was a mix of light protection and high mobility. A simple pair of light-filtered goggles rested on top of her head, ready to drop down over her eyes if necessary. There were a couple of belts with large pouches, extra ammunition, and holsters strapped around her torso and waist. Her primary weapon seemed to be a Boreset Long Rifle that was slung across her back. It was a dated and uncommon weapon, though very reliable under the most grueling conditions. The only drawbacks were its bulk and necessary maintenance to keep it working correctly. Still, that such an obviously experienced woman had that type of weapon, and given signs of its frequent use and maintenance, Yuri instinctively knew the newcomer could handle the weapon.

As the woman fully boarded the ship, Yuri was able to see several strings of beads that were worn in her hair along the back, ones that were identical to the single strip that Kei now wore. Seeing an entire set of them together triggered Yuri's memory as to where she had seen them before and what significance they had; they were the symbols of an outer rim bounty hunter.

While Yuri was assessing the newcomer, Kei did the same, though her attention was focused on the changes that might have happened across the years. The woman looked much the same, save older and perhaps a few pounds heavier, not that she had been overweight to begin with. It was indeed her, of that there could be no mistake. Kei's attempt at a detached assessment in order to keep control of herself was futile. Within seconds after seeing the woman for the first time in over a decade, Kei's eyes began to tear, and she felt herself overcome with a wave of emotion that was more powerful than anything she had ever felt, surpassing even graduation day at the training academy.

The woman gave the redhead a warm smile, and the last reserves tumbled away. Unable to restrain herself any longer, Kei leaped forward and embraced the smaller woman in a bear-like hug, as though afraid she would try to run off at any moment. Instantly Kei felt the embrace returned with just as much firmness and passion. That acceptance was all it took. The emotional dam gave way, and Kei wept openly, regretting her foolishness in ignoring for years the woman who had raised her with never a word of complaint.

Words poured from Kei's mouth as fiercely as the tears, "Oh, Iria. I've missed you so much!"

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Yep, It's a Dirty Pair/Iria: Zeiram, the Animation crossover. Hey, once I remembered the redhaired, spunky, good with weapons, orphan sidekick of Iria's that just happened to be named Kei, the crossover potential seemed painfully obvious. Just needed a halfway decent story, desire, and time to write it. The technology differential, especially in the transport systems between the two series, will have to be addressed, but I think I got that figured out. Zeiram's a bit dated, and I'm not sure how many people are still familiar with it, but I found it to be an excellent action-oriented series that will hopefully mix quite easily with the more popular Dirty Pair, though I haven't seen very many fics devoted to them of late. Hard to believe, given the good story potential there.

Last revisions: 9/29/03


	2. Chapter 2

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot

Chapter 2

A Dirty Pair, Iria: Zeiram the animation crossover.

Any and all CC appreciated. You can contact me at:

Standard Disclaimer:

I disclaim I own any of the Dirty Pair characters or the folks from Iria: Zeiram, the Animation

Version 1.1 Date 10/14/03

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Wisps of steam curled lazily in the air, drifting upward before mixing with the air and disappearing. Kei fondled the source of the steam, handling the ceramic cup filled with the coffee Iria had made in celebration of their reunion. The drink was a gift, a common enough blend from one of the moons outside Seti-Zatta, one of the largest growers in this part of the galaxy. Kei took a sip, noting a hint of cinnamon. It subtly altered the flavor of the drink, making it taste more exotic than its origin would indicate.

Kei's eyes went from examining the steam to doing a circuit of the Lovely Angel's galley where their long-awaited reunion was taking place. Unlike the majority of the ship, it was largely intact and showed no signs of having been in the multitude of recent battles that had nearly claimed both her and Yuri's lives. Her eyes sought anything to grab her attention, but nothing was there.

After a moment of avoiding the inevitable, Kei's gaze again settled on the far side of the table, focusing on the woman seated directly across from her. Iria was drinking her coffee just as slowly as Kei, making a faint slurping noise as she did so. Unconsciously, a smile formed on the troubleshooter's features. That familiar sound brought back memories of mornings growing up under Iria's tutelage. Every time they had a chance (when Iria wasn't on the job and away from civilization), they would drink coffee in the morning for breakfast. In the beginning, Kei only did it in imitation of her mentor, but later she developed a taste for the beverage that surpassed Iria's own. Sometime after she had left her home for good, Kei had dropped the habit, opting for drinks with a somewhat higher alcohol content. Now the familiar setting reminded Kei of what she had missed. The troubleshooter made a mental note to pick up some more coffee for herself the next time they stopped at a space station. One that hadn't suffered genocide at Zeiram's hands.

Iria took another, identical sip. Kei found that subtle character nuance to be reassuring. It was nice to know that even after so many years her mentor still remained the same, at least in some ways.

Kei opened her mouth to say something, then shut it just as quickly. It was the fourth time she had repeated the exact same movement. Every time she thought she had something to say, she would consider it, then judge it as too stupid a way to start a conversation.

Her actions had been mirrored at least twice across the table as Iria would look at her, move her own lips slightly, then return to her apparent contemplation. Kei wasn't sure if that was a good thing. The look of seriousness was uncharacteristic to Iria, and Kei was halfway convinced her hesitation was the result of something bad. Perhaps the bounty hunter was trying to figure out how to reprimand Kei for her actions over the years, rather than it simply being tension at how to start a conversation with someone she hadn't seen for so long. Iria had yet to give any indication that she was angry with Kei, but the troubleshooter knew from past experience that yelling and screaming were rarely the tools her mentor employed to express her displeasure. Sometimes a glance was all it took to let Kei know she had angered Iria somehow, and over the course of the last decade, just about anything she might have done could have disappointed the older woman. There was quite a list to choose form. Kei had led an... active life, and Iria had a tendency to be more straight-laced than the many 3WA agents.

One minute became a half dozen as the two remained exactly the way they were, sipping their coffee slowly, acting as though they were about to speak, then going back to drinking or just staring at each other across the table.

"This is ridiculous," a deep male voice from a small, watch-shaped computer strapped to Iria's wrist complained. A tiny hologram, consisting of two yellow floating cones containing a red sphere floating between them, appeared. "Another ten years are going to pass before you two talk. Why don't I start things off?"

Kei let out a sigh of relief, and swore she heard one escape from Iria as well. Leave it to good old Bob to help move things along. When Iria had first returned, and after they broke off their mutual embrace and exchanged pleasantries, Bob was quick to greet Kei from the mini computer strapped to Iria's wrist. Kei herself was relieved to learn Bob was still, well, alive wasn't quite the right term, but perhaps functioning would do. Not that she thought of him in terms other than that of her co-guardian when growing up. Kei was a touch ashamed to realize that all of her attention had been riveted upon Iria from the moment she had sent the deep space communication, and that she had not spared a thought about Bob until he had made his presence known.

Sometimes Kei wondered what it would have been like to have met Bob in person, before Zeiram had killed him. Iria had shown her pictures of the tall, dark-skinned, bald man who had been her and Gren's primary employer before the Karma incident, an event that had changed everyone's lives dramatically. However, the two-dimensional photographs failed to convey the true character of the man that had given so much advice and assistance over the years.

But the universe was not made of 'What ifs'. Bob had been mortally wounded shortly before Iria had crash-landed on Daowajon, where she had met Kei for the first time. Tedan-Tippendai, the corporation that had hired Bob, Iria, and her brother Gren to rescue the crew and passengers of the space-liner Karma (while failing to mention that Zeiram was on board, which was the reason a rescue was necessary) had taken his brain patterns and secretly downloaded them to an individualized 'Brain Bank,' for their own private use. Bob had circumvented their security programs and contacted Iria, who rescued him from the fate of being an advanced calculator for the mega-corporation. Bob had adjusted to the change in form easily, and always considered himself lucky to even be a computerized brain, but it was still another potential future that Zeiram was guilty of stealing. Bob's and thousands of others.

Bob 'cleared' his throat by buzzing static for the others' benefit. "I must say, Kei, you've blossomed into a radiant flower of beauty."

"Oh, stop," Kei squirmed girlishly and felt herself blush at the compliment. Coming from him, the flattery felt like it was delivered from a favored uncle rather than a potential romantic interest, Bob's lack of body notwithstanding. But it was nice to hear someone compliment her on her looks. Of course, she knew she was good-looking, but it never hurt to hear someone else second the fact. Yuri's jealousy over Kei's looks always meant cutting remarks rather than an admission of inferiority. Luckily, Bob had no such ego to bruise.

Iria gave the small wrist computer a flat stare. "You never say that sort of thing about me."

"That's because you told me never to lie to you."

The wrist computer met the table top several times before Iria let up.

Bob mock protested at first, but the complaint degenerated into a laugh that was joined a moment later by the women. The laughter went on for over a minute before Bob managed to give what passed for a sincere comment about Iria's own attractive features. All present felt the tension over the reunion dissolve with the sound of the laughter, and the trio eased into an almost long-forgotten camaraderie.

"You do look well, Kei," Iria confirmed. "I'm glad to see you're looking healthy. Considering our lines of work, that's not always a given."

Kei nodded in agreement. Despite the numerous fights, explosions, and crashes she had been involved in throughout her life, she had never suffered an injury that modern science could not erase. The 3WA's health plan was second to none, and she and Yuri had indulged in it on numerous occasions. "I've been through a few rough spots, but nothing fatal."

"I'll say you've been through some rough spots," Iria said, her voice taking on a small note of disapproval that Kei picked up on instantly. It was amazing how one could suddenly find themselves remembering every subtle detail of what a person was like, even after more than a decade and a half of separation.

Kei giggled, a nervous titter that only served to make her more uneasy. Iria's level stare became even more flat. Before she could add further commentary, Bob chose to interject himself once again.

"Iria's been following your exploits every chance she gets. Which was a lot easier than you might think given how often you turn up in the news."

"Bob," Iria's voice held a warning tone in it.

The implied threat was disregarded without a second digital thought. "She's always been worried about you, even if she acts a little uncaring right now. You should have stayed in touch."

"Bob! Knock it off." Iria placed her other hand next to the button that would shut down his ability to use her wrist computer as a terminal.

"Fine," Bob's voice held the petulant tone of a child that was no longer allowed to do something fun and wholly mischievous.

For Kei, it felt as though a tremendous weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Iria still cared enough about her to follow her career. Part of Kei, a small but a very real part, had been fearful that once she had left Iria's sight, she had been quickly forgotten. Originally, it had been the fears of a young woman on her own in a huge galaxy, afraid that not only would she fail to make her mark on the universe, but that she had also failed to have an effect on those whose lives she had already touched. Later, with the onset of maturity (an idea Yuri openly scoffed at when Kei applied it to herself), it was more of a fear that she had alienated Iria herself for leaving so abruptly. As time passed, the worries had been pushed to the back of Kei's mind as newer, more urgent concerns, from how much money she had saved up to who was trying to kill her today, took precedence over the past. With the recent turn of events that forced Kei to call Iria, the old fears clawed their way back to the present and made their presence known, showing that they had grown in the dark recesses of her mind rather than fading away like a memory over the passage of years.

But Bob's words assured her that had not been the case, and that the opposite was true. The knowledge that she was still cared about by someone that was important to her (and seeing Iria again only reinforced those feelings) made the troubleshooter feel better than she had in months, if not years.

It was Kei's turn to speak. "I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch. I was afraid of how you'd react when I decided to strike out on my own. I didn't think you'd approve, so I sort of-"

"-Left in the middle of the night at the age of sixteen, leaving a note on your bed saying you had to find your own course in life and that you needed to do it alone." Iria shot her a disapproving glare, the same kind a mother would give any child of their own.

Kei found herself reflexively flinch at the reprimand. That was something she never did with anyone, save with Yuri on those few occasions when her partner was right and the mess they were in really was Kei's fault. "Uh, yeah, I didn't know how else to do it. I was afraid you'd try to talk me out of it. And," it took her a moment to admit it, mostly to herself, "I was more afraid you'd succeed. It was the only way I could see me successfully getting out of there, even if it wasn't exactly the best way I could have left."

Iria's disapproving glare remained where it was, making Kei wonder if her reasons had sounded just as lame to her now that they had been verbalized (despite being the complete and honest truth). Then the glare disappeared, becoming softer. Iria's whole form seemed to become more relaxed as she tilted her chair back and placed her hands behind her head.

The bounty hunter began speaking. "Believe it or not, I understand. I saw the way you'd been acting the last few months before you left. It was hard not to notice with the constant arguments we had over trivial things and the frustration you were showing at life in general. Bob said I was a little like that when I was your age, though I seemed to deal with it better. It took me a while, but I eventually realized that you needed to search for something that you couldn't find at home. It took a little longer, but I was almost ready to accept you having to leave to find it."

There was a pause before Iria spoke again, her voice holding a touch more emotion in it. Not painful, but more like the vaguest hint of lingering distress over the events of the past. "But you still should have let me know to my face. I had faith in you. If you were able to survive on your own as an orphan on Daowajon, and then getting almost ten years of me teaching you about life and showing you the ropes, I'd have trusted you on your own. I would have helped you do whatever it was you had to do. I wouldn't have been happy about it, I don't think it would be possible for me to be happy about you leaving, but I would have accepted that was the way things had to be and done it."

"Oh." Kei felt a cloud of depression start to hover over her. The confession, combined with her own emotions after seeing Iria for the first time in so long, was becoming overwhelming. All of her life Kei had convinced herself that part of the reason she had to leave like a thief in the night was to prevent Iria from stopping her. But to learn that wasn't the case, and that she had made things so much more difficult for herself and her mentor by running away, didn't sit well. Kei could have handled things so much better and her unfounded fears wouldn't have caused them to be separated for so many years.

With Iria before her, a host of feelings Kei had thought long gone and forgotten returned. A feeling of belonging, of family that Yuri's presence couldn't provide since she fell under the (also very important) category of friend rather than family, was the strongest. All of that angst, especially in the earlier years, could have been avoided if Kei had been open with her feelings at the time. Everything would have been all right, or at least better.

Iria seemed to notice the depression and reacted quickly. She leaned forward so that all four feet of her chair touched the ground and brought one of her hands forward, clasping Kei's with her own. "Don't let it get you down. Things turned out all right. You got on your feet right away, and I managed to keep a close enough eye on you early on through my contacts. I knew that you were taking care of yourself.

"I've been pretty busy with my own life as well. You wouldn't believe some of the things I've done over the last fifteen years. I was on one of side of the galaxy to the other. Hunting along the outer rim is hard work, as you know. Sometimes I haven't' been home for months, so we probably wouldn't have had that many chances to get together. Not with how busy you and I have been."

"That's true," Kei had to agree.

"So we agree not to let the past bother us?"

Kei nodded and was surprised at how quickly Iria's words of encouragement served to dispel the pall of depression that had begun to set in. Iria was right. It was all in the past, and Kei had tried doing what she thought was necessary with the information she had at the time. She wasn't real big on angst anyway, always thinking of herself as more of a free spirit and not letting the problems in life bog her down for too long. It felt good to get this out in the open and put to rest.

Iria released Kei's hand. "I can tell you've been really busy doing, how does the press usually put it? 'Cutting a swathe of death and destruction through the galaxy like an Apocalyptic horseman'?"

Kei felt her face grown red. "Me and Yuri's relationship with the press has never exactly been the best, if you know what I mean?"

"Your relationship with the majority of planets you visit usually isn't all that better either," Iria replied flatly.

Kei held her hands up defensively. Never had she felt so ashamed of her case record, and many, many people had tried to make her feel that way. Thousands over the years, to be accurate. "It's not my fault, really. And I'm not just saying that. The 3WA computer always clears me and Yuri of any charges of wrongdoing. All of the accidents are totally unavoidable, and since I'm pretty much the best agent the 3WA's got, usually the cases I'm assigned to are so hard that the chances of solving them are next to impossible to begin with. Why, if it wasn't for me, there'd be a lot more devastation and havoc in the universe."

"Given the trail of devastation and havoc that you leave behind, that's a pretty bold thing to proclaim," Iria said.

"It's true," Kei insisted. She leaned forward, looking around the room, then gave Iria a conspiratorial look. Iria's curiosity was piqued and she leaned forward in response, her face no more than a couple of inches away from Kei's.

The next words Kei said were virtually inaudible, and Iria had to strain to hear them. "I don't like to say this out loud, with Yuri being my partner and all, but the truth is, she's really a loose cannon."

Iria's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Yep," Kei assured her in smooth, louder tones. "She's a wild, one-woman wrecking crew. Now don't get me wrong, she's a nice person most of the time, and a heck of an agent. I wouldn't want anyone else for my partner, and she's been cleared of all charges, too. But the main reason things get blown up around us is because she's recklessness personified. I can't begin to imagine the untold damage she'd cause if I wasn't there to help keep her under control."

Iria cocked an eyebrow at this so-called 'confession'. "That's interesting, considering that when you were growing up, you were always the one that was pretty hard to restrain, as I seem to recall."

"Meaning the two of you are so alike it's scary," Bob added.

He received a thump into the table top for his expert testimony.

Xxxxxxx

Outside the room, a portable listening device's component parts shattered into a dozen pieces as a certain 3WA agent's grip tightened reflexively upon it. A loose cannon, was she? And after she had been thoughtful and caring enough to plant a bug in the room beforehand and eavesdrop on the conversation to make sure everything went smoothly with Kei and her old friend. Left on her own for a few minutes, and what did that backstabbing little witch do? She tried to make Yuri into the big scapegoat when it was actually Kei that was responsible for nearly every bad move the pair had ever made. Yuri made a mental note to have a discussion with Kei about taking responsibility for her actions at a later time, probably in the middle of a hand-to-hand combat training session. That way Yuri knew she'd have the proper amount of attention from Kei. Oh, yes. Yuri would see to it she received plenty of attention from her partner. Almost more than she would be able to handle.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"How much longer until we get there?" Kei asked Iria as the pair headed toward the bounty hunter's attached ship, 'Creeper V'. It was named in honor of her original spacecraft, the four predecessors to the current version all meeting similar, violent fates. Both felt elated at their long conversation. Once the ice had been broken and any potentially hard feelings had been laid to rest, the two had bantered back and forth, catching up on old times and barely scratching the surface of all that had happened over the years. They would have continued on through the night until they collapsed had it not been for Bob mentioning they were due to drop out of hyperspace and arrive at the station in an hour, suggesting they had better prepare themselves for dealing with Zeiram. Reluctantly, the duo ended their talk and called Yuri to meet them at the airlock where the two ships were still slaved together.

Yuri was tapping her foot impatiently as the two came up the passageway, the last vestiges of laughter at some joke ending as they arrived. A disapproving glare was shot at Kei, one the troubleshooter caught onto immediately. Yuri changed her stare to a professional one she presented for the outer rim bounty hunter.

"What are we doing here anyway?" Yuri asked, leaving Kei to wonder idly what she had done to upset Yuri so much.

Iria explained, "Kei informs me the two of you need an upgrade in weapons. Since we don't have time to stop off anywhere, I thought I'd give you your pick from my own armory."

Iria touched the pad controlling the airlock. The door between the ships opened with a snake-like hiss as the now stale air caught in the connection tunnel between the ships escaped into the Lovely Angel and fresher, recycled air replaced it. "I've picked up a few impressive pieces of hardware over the years. I think you'll find something useful."

"Most planetary governments could find something useful in there," Bob agreed, his electronically-simulated voice somehow conveying an intangible smirk.

The trio of women stepped into the well-lit passageway connecting the ships. It was a sterile white, reminiscent of the color within most medical facilities on any planet in the galaxy, no matter how vastly different cultures might be. The five centimeter thick walls of the connection tube were all that stood between them and being lost in hyperspace forever. None of the women thought about this as they made their way between the two vessels, all of them veterans of space travel, and taking far greater chances with their lives than worrying about the tiny risk of the connecting tube decompressing.

Iria used her personal code to allow their entry into her ship. Using the several second interval while the Creeper V processed the code, Yuri began asking some of the questions on her mind. "What exactly is this Zeiram creature? Kei didn't really have the time to give me any information on it since it was trying to kill us at the time. Since then..." she drifted off and pointed at the white bandage wrapped around her upper leg.

Iria nodded in understanding. All traces of her previous enjoyment with Kei disappeared as she took on a more serious demeanor. "Zeiram is an alien of unknown origin. He appeared in this arm of the Milky Way Galaxy slightly over two decades ago, wiping out a number of remote colonies, and a couple of thousand people on several planets, before being caught and neutralized. Originally, he was held for study on the last planet he had tried to destroy, but somehow a huge conglomerate called Tedan-Tippendai got its hands on Zeiram. As near as Bob and I were able to piece together, they were trying to come up with some way of controlling him for use as a weapon. Whatever measures they took weren't enough. He escaped and slaughtered most of the crew on the passenger liner they tried to smuggle him in on. Bob, my brother Gren, and myself were secretly hired to take him out. We failed, he destroyed Bob's body, and ended up absorbing my brother somehow, using his memories and skills to help try to hatch some scheme to bring others of his race to this part of the galaxy, or so we surmised at the time.

"As to Zeiram himself, in the simplest of terms, he's a living killing machine. He doesn't show mercy, murdering anything and everything that's around him. He doesn't talk, doesn't bargain, doesn't hesitate, doesn't sleep, doesn't stop. He is incredibly powerful. He can integrate just about any weapon system into his body and use it with expert skill. He's incredibly resilient, able to bounce back from almost any injury or just plain ignore them. He can create various repulsive monsters through the white face on his head. It devours organic matter, then produces an egg that can be hatched almost instantly, creating a monster that is one hundred percent loyal to Zeiram. They are just as vicious and homicidal as him, but nowhere near as powerful, thankfully."

"Monster, huh? Sounds like the thing I killed on the ship." Yuri shuddered at the memory, as she and the others boarded the Creeper V.

"That's probably what it was," Iria speculated. "I only managed to kill Zeiram by taking him on and wearing him down with lots of weapons, destroying the white head, and then leaving his corpse to fry in a desert on a barren planet. There's no way he survived. I just know it."

"Maybe it's a different member of the same race?" Yuri offered.

Immediately, Kei shook her head. "I don't think so. I just got this... I don't know, vibe off him. I ran into him several times when I was younger, and there's something about him that makes me know this is the same Zeiram I ran into before, as impossible as it seems."

"I believe you, Kei." Iria was relieved to see the tension in Kei ease with her agreement. It made sense. If she had come to Kei with the same story, the idea that it was a mistake or hallucination would have seemed more likely than the real Zeiram having reappeared again.

"Maybe it's a clone?" Yuri offered.

Iria shrugged. "I don't know. As many times as I ran into it, I didn't really understand how the blasted thing worked. What I do know is that Tedan-Tippendai isn't behind things this time. They went belly-up within two years once their actions became public knowledge."

"What we need to do is kill the thing first, then ask questions later." Kei said grimly.

The door opened and allowed them to enter, ending the conversation.

Once she was onboard, Kei saw that the design of the Creeper V wasn't very different from either of the previous incarnations, save that it was almost twice as large as the others. Despite its greater size, the ship was still only one quarter the size of the Lovely Angel, with only flight controls, tiny living quarters, a couple of storage bays, and refresher in the ship. For Iria, it probably didn't need to be any bigger since she usually traveled alone, save for Bob, and he didn't exactly take up much space. Kei would have found it confining if she had to stay on board for any long stretch of time, but Iria had always been different in that respect. Cramped spaces, from ships to apartments, never seemed to bother her. They didn't really bother Kei either, but she preferred having more room to operate when given a choice. It was another difference between the two women.

The brief tour of the ship ended as Iria made her way to the rear of the ship and pushed a button next to a doorway located near the portside engines. The door slid open to reveal an armory that took up nearly a fifth of the vessel. Weapons of every shape and size were jammed in it, making the room look like a flea market, despite the fact the weapons had some sort of organization to them.

Kei let out a low whistle. "Looks like you've been busy since the last time I saw you. This thing must have grown almost five times...Hey! Is that a smart-gun rig?"

A surge of parental pride swelled in Iria's bosom as she watched Kei act like a child let loose in a toy store. The redhead began darting around the room and examining the new 'playthings' she was being given a chance to frolic around with.

Yuri stepped into the armory and mirrored Kei's sentiments in a more restrained way. "This is a heck of a set up you have here."

Iria shrugged as she paid close attention to the 'loose cannon' her young protégé had been teamed up with for over a decade. "You never know what kind of problems you're going to run into when looking for a bounty head. Since I usually operate alone, I only have myself to rely on. If I don't come equipped with what I need, I probably won't be getting it anytime soon."

"Sounds kind of lonely," Yuri said.

"Well, I have Bob with me all the time. And every now and then I team up with another hunter, like that old bastard, Fujikawa, or some of the newer jocks, like Slayback or Effer Effern Efferheart the Third, Esq. They aren't bad to work with for a couple jobs, though I could never team up with any of them for the long term."

Kei's tore her gaze from the Guazees sub-particle beam rifle she had been drooling over. "You mean Fujikawa's still alive?"

"Due in no small part to me," Iria said proudly. "Would you believe he's actually mellowed out a little over the years?"

"Now that I have to see."

Iria smiled at the implication. "After we take care of Zeiram, I'd be happy to take you back home. Things have changed a bit since you were living on Myce, but not so much that you wouldn't recognize it. The planet still has the same feel, which can't be said for a lot of the other worlds that have expanded in the last decade around there."

Kei could almost feel her eyes tear as a wave of memories of a wonderful childhood assailed her. "I'd like that. A lot."

"Ahem," Yuri cleared her throat loudly. She hated breaking up the scene, but there were other, more urgent matters at hand.

"Right," Iria agreed, getting back to business. "Take your pick. Anything you want to use, grab."

Yuri nodded in appreciation and began examining the racks of various weapons. There was at least a token appearance by just about every type of handheld weapon manufactured in the galaxy. Slug throwers, incinerators, lasers, particle beams, needlers (which she would be avoiding from now on), and ion blasters were everywhere. There was even a high-tech slingshot towards the back with a wide variety of multi-colored spherical pellets next to it. Yuri passed it over and examined the variety of handheld weapons. There were vibro-swords, laser lances, even some normal-looking ancient type items, like a mace and a set of bolos. The array of weapons was impressive, especially considering how cramped the ship was to begin with.

Yuri drew closer to a familiar type of rifle. "Hey. This is a Pogtaltion 776. These were outlawed by the Uni-Gal Conventions Guidelines at the same time the Barneyblast 'Love Me,' firearms were. Only agents of an inner world military force, or special trouble shooters of the 3WA, can use them. And even then we have to fill out a GGIL form in triplicate for each round we use. That's why no 3WA agent has used them in the last five years, since the 'Good God It's Long' forms take at least a two hour minimum to fill out, and that's if you're a speed writer."

Kei went up to her partner and grabbed her by the ear, hard. "Yuri, how many times do I have to tell you that if some nice person is going to loan us really cool weapons, we turn a blind eye to any illegal ones they might have accidentally acquired? Besides, this is the woman who raised me. If I still had a mother, I'd sooner turn her in than Iria."

"Of course. I wouldn't say anything." Yuri pulled her ear out of Kei's grasp and turned partially away, giving Kei a defiant look over her shoulder. "I'm just saying that we should be mindful of the rules we bend just in case it comes back to bite us in the ass. After all, I've certainly covered for you and stuck my neck on the line when you play fast and loose with the rules, which has happened on more than one occasion."

"And like I don't keep my lips shut about some of the crap you've pulled," Kei shot back.

Yuri spun on her heel and confronted Kei, clearly offended. "Excuse me. I am nothing like you. I never do anything that would get me in trouble. I'm a good girl."

Kei raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh, really? What about that little incident between you and Chief Gilhooey at the Christmas party?"

Instantly, Yuri's skin took on the pallor of an anemic ghost. "Buh... buh... but that was five years ago and we were really drunk and that was when he was having marital problems at the time and I had been just dumped by George and I had more to drink than even you that night and nothing came about it anyway and we both felt really really really bad about that one time mistake and promised never to breathe a word of any of it to anyone so it doesn't really count and no one would hold that against me."

The glance Kei gave her would have spoken volumes of innocence had it been on anyone else. On her, it was about as appropriate as a talking mime. "Oh? I guess since you think no one would hold that against you, I'll mention it to Mrs. Gilhooey. I'm sure she won't mind either."

"NO!" Yuri screamed and fell to her knees, grabbing Kei's legs as she began pleading. "You can't do it! In the name of all that's good and holy, you mustn't!"

Kei caught the look of confusion on Iria and began to explain. "Chief Gilhooey was only Agent Gilhooey when he met the future Mrs. Gilhooey while he was on assignment. He was guarding her when she was a participant at the Intergal Olympiad. You know, the one to prove who the best people in some individual sport in the galaxy are? She was registered in two events: Long Range Target Shooting and Unlimited Class Fighting. She won the platinum medal in both."

"I once saw her dot the 'I' of a 'No Parking' sign at one hundred meters with a handgun. She did it on a quick draw," Yuri babbled.

"Mrs. Gilhooey tends to be a wee bit jealous," Kei continued.

"I saw her drag an illegally parked armored limo out of her husband's parking spot. You should have heard the sounds the metal made while it was pulled across the ground. It sounded like little children being ground into powder."

"There was this one female agent that gave the Chief an innocent peck on the cheek after he gave her a cushy assignment, and Mrs. Gilhooey happened to see it."

"She could kill small animals with her breath alone."

"Thanks to the miracles of modern medical science, they were able to reattach her lips without a problem."

"I'd sooner tattoo, 'I'm a member of the Dirty Pair' across my forehead than mess with her," Yuri loudly proclaimed as visions of an enraged Mrs. Gilhooey filled her mind.

"Think we can let Iria slide on this one?" Kei asked sardonically.

"I'll help her knock over a bank if it means you keeping your mouth shut," Yuri said.

Iria and Bob shared a chuckle at the exchange. They both knew how hard Kei could be to get along with after watching her grow up. What time they had spent reunited with her, despite how brief it had been, indicated that she was still very much the same type of girl that had left them. Mischievous, headstrong, living mostly in the short-term, a bit violent, but a basically good person that always tried to do the right thing.

It was good to see that somehow she had obviously found the perfect partner for herself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This feels somewhat familiar," Yuri commented as she walked down the boarding ramp of the Lovely Angel and into the same landing bay they had been in before. She hefted her new weapon and tried becoming used to the weight. What a Suboronic High Intensity Laser Rifle lost in range, it more than made up for in power. At five times more weight than the standard laser rifle, it could burn a hole through just about anything, hopefully including wandering Zeirams. She also brought along the spike from the needler that the oversized mushroom had shot her with, hanging it on her belt like an oversized knife. She prayed she for the opportunity to show him what getting stabbed with two feet of titanium was like.

Shaking off the fantasy of blood, Yuri cast a sidelong glance at her partner. "Kei, don't you think you might be overdoing it a bit?"

Kei scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just look at yourself."

Kei did as Yuri requested. "What?"

An exasperated sigh escaped Yuri. Kei would never learn. "You're carrying a Sharter Smart Gun that's nearly as long as you are tall and is so heavy you have to have it hooked up to a harness and belt mechanism so you can carry it without breaking your back."

Kei gave a beatific smile. "I know. Eight rotating barrels and a two thousand rounds per minute rate of fire. It's great, isn't it? For the first time since we ran into Zeiram, I feel really secure."

"That's my Kei," Iria said approvingly as Yuri held her hand to her head in mock pain. She just hoped Kei was smart enough not to use armor-piercing or exploding rounds, especially near one of the outer walls of the station. With the gun's rate of fire, those would probably punch a hole through the two foot thick metal and then there would be trouble. Maybe there was still time for Yuri to grab a space helmet.

Her gaze went to Iria and examined her more closely. "Umm. I hate to say this, but aren't you going to carry something with a little more kick than a Boreset Long Rifle? Not that I mean to insult your weapon or anything."

"I'm not insulted," Iria assured her. "It's just that I used this the last time I needed to kill Zeiram, and it's the weapon I'm used to. Besides, I loaded it up with high velocity explosive tip rounds. They can punch a hole in just about anything. I just have to make sure we're not standing near a wall that leads directly to space, just in case I miss."

That made Yuri feel somewhat reassured. Someone else was thinking ahead for a change. It was a unique experience. Despite having raised Yuri's gun loving, violent, sidekick, It appeared Iria had a level head. For a while there Yuri had thought it just going to be her and Bob that were going to have to keep an eye on everything and prevent the other women from getting them killed

As Yuri watched Iria move around, and steadily got to know her during their voyage (mostly when the bounty hunter and Kei were together), she began to see in her mind's eye the connection between her and Kei. The redhead was definitely a good bit wilder than her mentor, but it was easy to see how her usual manic, trigger-happy behavior could have been encouraged in her formative years with someone like Iria as her mentor. It made Yuri appreciate her own upbringing in a much more stable and ordinary environment. She had turned out perfectly normal, especially when compared to her partner.

The trio crossed the landing bay and looked cautiously out in the corridor before moving into it. The passageway branched off in two directions, both leading deeper into the station.

"We went left the first time we were here," Kei informed Iria.

Iria looked in the direction Kei indicated, then turned to the other way. "I think we should split up here. I want to locate Zeiram quickly."

"If this guy is as powerful as you say, is splitting up a good idea?" Yuri asked as she double-checked her weapon.

Iria considered that. "I'm not sure, but the instant I set foot on this station, I got this bad feeling. I don't know how else to describe it other than hunter's instinct, but it's definitely there. Something is very out of sorts here."

"Everyone on the station is dead," Yuri pointed out. The station did felt like a giant, expensive mausoleum to her. Hell, that was basically what it was now.

Iria shook her head. "No. I mean besides that."

"That's good enough for me," Kei said before Yuri could complain about the vagaries of following something as intuitive as 'hunter's instinct.' It was a clear vote of two to one that ended the debate.

Kei moved closer to Iria, saying something too soft for Yuri to hear. Yuri knew what would come next; Kei would want to wander off with her mentor, leaving Yuri to fend for herself despite the nagging injury to her leg. True, it wasn't as though she was a green rookie that couldn't identify her ass from a space shuttle, and she had operated in the field solo plenty of times, but there was a vague sensation of being hurt. It bothered her that despite years of being partnered together, Kei would abandon her (admittedly only for a little while) because a familiar face from her past had turned up.

Just as Yuri was about to turn down the corridor and head toward the command center on her own, Kei gave Iria an affectionate hug and said, "Stay safe." Much to Yuri's surprise, Kei left the embrace, then moved to her side.

Kei saw the look of astonishment on her companion's face and understood the source. "Come on. We're partners. Iria can take care of herself. Besides, someone has to keep you out of trouble."

"Me out of trouble?" Yuri said with a mask of disbelief that hid the smile within. "Who had to launch a volley of missiles at the freight train that nearly ran her over at Palmado?"

"A fluke," Kei shot back. "What about the time I had to break you out of that hotel room when the Jusky Planetary Security Forces were about to inject you with sulfuric acid."

"I was only in trouble because you gave me a bad tip!"

"Irrelevant. Besides, I specifically told you not to try to go in alone and wait for me in case the tip was bad. How quickly we forget little details, like the truth."

"Oh ho! You want to talk about revisionist history? How about the time we went out with those twins..."

Xxxxxxxx

Iria gave a soft smile at the duo before heading off on her own, allowing their voices to drift off to a dull clamor until there was nothing left but the gentle hum of the inner mechanisms of the station to filling the air.

It was times like these Iria regretted not having a partner. A physical one, in any case. She had tried to find one over the years, it was always safer going after dangerous prey with someone watching your back, but it never seemed to work out. Occasionally, when going after bigger bounties, she would team up with someone else, but during those times she also discovered that a partner tended to cramp her style, especially if there was no real chemistry between them. Chemistry was important to a partnership. Even in a semi-permanent alliance, the members involved had to add to one another's abilities, not detract from them. The sum of the parts becoming greater than the whole, to use the age old expression. The few fellow bounty hunters that she had teamed up with where that saying proved to be true never lasted long. Usually it was a conflict in philosophies, such as which bounties to go after and how far they would go in obtaining the target. Other times it was a conflict in personality, even if they were professional enough to work together during the length of the mission. Over time, Iria fretted about finding someone that was ideal. The one time she thought she had...

With an internal vehemence, she forced the memory from her mind. That had ended as badly as possible. There was no sense in rehashing the mistakes of the past.

It made her wish her brother, Gren, was still been alive. That had been the perfect partnership, and she thought he had felt that way too. Their skills had complimented each other perfectly, and they had gotten along better than most normal families did. There was never any doubt they would have always been there to back each other up. A brother and sister team, taking every vow they could, save 'till death do they part.' Iria had dreams of that when she was younger and on the verge of obtaining her own license. But it was never meant to be. Her lifelong dream had died aboard the Karma, the same way so many had died here on this station.

The monster she was hunting now was the one that had taken Gren away. A cold rage settled in the pit of her stomach. That abomination had forced her to kill all that remained of her brother by her own hand. That was a crime for which Zeiram could never be forgiven. Killing him once should have been enough, his festering corpse left to melt under the bright sun of the Stardust Desert. Putting Gren's spirit to rest and nearly dying at Zeiram's hands in the middle of that barren wasteland had been enough to purge that rage once. That and the knowledge that she had to find a way to continue onward and take care of Kei had helped her bury that past. But now it had returned with a vengeance, killing all around it once again. It was taking a great deal of Iria's self-control not to shout towards the heavens at how unfair it all was. Why was it Zeiram had the opportunity to come back and her brother did not?

Rage was clouding her judgment, and Iria knew it. She took a moment to turn her mind towards more pleasant thoughts, things that were more important than mere vengeance (which she would still achieve, to be certain). Kei. It was all about her. It was amazing how much her young ward had grown, both physically and emotionally. Certainly, the fiery redhead still seemed a bit immature in some ways, but Iria figured at least part of it was an act for her benefit. Or maybe Kei really was that irresponsible. Still, the bounty hunter felt the satisfaction that could only be experienced when a parent was proud of their child's accomplishments. That Kei was not of Iria's blood made no difference to the older woman. Whether it was in the role of sister, mother, or friend, she had always been proud of Kei and felt a profound sense of accomplishment in helping the young girl change from a rowdy, thieving orphan to an upstanding honest, young woman.

True, Kei had departed at a young age to start living a life of her own making, and there had been an emptiness within Iria that had plagued her for nearly a year afterwards, leading her to make some awful mistakes with her life. But with time, she learned to deal with the feelings that were related to matters that had been outside of her ability to change or even control. Eventually, Iria accepted the way things had turned out. As depressed as she had been over Kei's absence, there had always been an overwhelming sense of relief that her ward was still alive and well. That loss of her presence was nothing compared to what had happened to Gren. Dealing with her brother's death had helped her cope with the lesser loss of Kei. It was ironic that even in death, it was Gren who had helped her deal with one of the more troubling times in her life.

And now, years later, confronted with a girl that had turned into a young woman in her absence, Iria knew she had done the right thing in not pursuing Kei and trying to drag her back. It had been better to allow the young girl to leave the nest and learn to fly on her own. The lack of contact over the years might have cost both of them some time they could have spent together, helping one another as only they could, but the end result had made the absence worthwhile. It was all in the past, and they were now left with only the present and future to live in. Hopefully, there would be plenty of both to ahead.

In a much improved mood, Iria decided she had done enough internalizing of her emotions. It was time to turn her full attention to the matter at hand. It wouldn't do to become so wrapped up in thinking about Kei that Zeiram got the drop on her, possibly absorbing her like he had Gren and forcing Kei to kill them both. That kind of symmetry Iria could live without.

The sound of lightly armored feet played softly across the metal deck of the station as Iria covered the distance to the central quarters for the civilian section. According to the debriefing she had received from the duo, this was a part of the station that Kei and Yuri had not searched during their previous visit. There was no telling what sort of unpleasant surprises might be lying in wait for her in this uncharted territory, so Iria moved quietly, listening to anything and everything that might point toward an ambush or where Zeiram was currently located.

The first twenty minutes turned up nothing in the way of clues, frustrating Iria. Her most fervent wish was to locate Zeiram and kill him right away. His continued existence was beginning to wear away at her now that she was moving about in his new lair. The matter should have been resolved years ago, but now it had all come back. This time she wanted the matter finished. Forever.

Iria was about to make her way to another section of the station when her hunter's instinct made her turn toward another direction. There was something there, she was certain of it. More cautiously than ever, she moved into a long metal corridor that would lead to the air processing plant. As she stalked through the passageway, she spotted an unmoving, black amorphous blob lying in the middle of the corridor. Iria immediately took cover behind a nearby curve in the passageway and watched.

After observing the blob for several moments, and determining it wasn't going to move without some provocation, she walked forward. Cautiously, she approached the lump, rifle primed to pump a few explosive rounds at anything that tried to rush her. The situation was the classic misdirection trap, the blob meaning to attract her attention while someone flanked her. She made certain there was nothing hiding in a cubby hole or vent nearby that might try to attack.

There appeared to be nothing as she drew near the blob in the corridor, getting close enough to make out some of its details. When it had been alive, the thing certainly could have been one of the monstrosities produced by Zeiram. It appeared to have once been humanoid, but just barely, with long ropy tentacles where arms should have been and obsidian skin the color of deep space. There was a luminescent ooze that was slowly dripping from its mouth, where a small pool of the substance was already congealing.

The creature was unquestionably dead. More green ooze had spilled to the floor from different wounds, forming a puddle underneath the body. The creature itself was riddled with holes and had what appeared to be tell-tale laser burns on its legs.

Iria sniffed the air once. A frown creased her forehead. The implications of the scene made her even more anxious than before. After a moment's consideration, she flipped on her communicator.

"Kei, Yuri. Do you read me, over?"

Kei was the first to answer. "Loud and clear. What's up?"

"Last time you were here, did the two of you make it to the residential quarters or the corridor between that and the air processing plant?"

"No. Not even close," Yuri answered.

"And when did you leave the station?"

Kei responded first this time. "We already told you three days ago. Why?"

"I'll explain later. Break off the search and head directly towards the command bridge. I think the answers we need are going to be there." At least Iria hoped they would.

"What's going on?" There was an edge to Kei's voice. This wasn't part of the plan to find Zeiram.

"This station has had guests since you left."

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"What do you mean 'the station had guests'?" Kei asked as she and Yuri linked up with Iria shortly before arriving at the bridge.

Iria explained things as she moved at a slow trot. "I found a dead creature in one of the corridors. There was still the lingering scent of ozone in the air from an energy weapon discharge."

"So it was killed in the last few hours." Yuri completed the thought for the others.

"Maybe Zeiram killed it?" Kei offered, though her voice lacked true conviction.

Iria shook her head. "You remember what it was like fighting those monsters. Every one of those creatures was fanatically loyal. They'd never turn on him, and I can't see him going through all the hassle of creating them just to kill them. No. I'm almost certain something else took out the one I saw."

"Survivors?" Yuri asked.

This time it was Kei's turn to ruin her partner's theory. "Not on this station. Not with Zeiram moving around for three days and who knows how long before that."

"Yeah," Yuri admitted. The idea was far-fetched. So who did that leave? Not the authorities; they would still be here conducting an investigation. Not pirates, they'd still be looting the place.

The question continued plaguing Yuri until the trio arrived at the command center. They entered cautiously, finding a good portion of the chamber damaged from the earlier firefight.

"That where you exited the room?" Iria pointed to the rubble-filled far side of the command center.

Kei nodded, examining what was left of the interior. No Zeiram. That was too bad, but she hadn't believed for a moment that he had died in the explosion. As to the computers, that was a different story. Nearly all of them near where she had tossed her overloaded laser rifle had been completely destroyed. All that was left was twisted metal and exposed wiring. Another quarter appeared to have been damaged by shrapnel and assorted debris. That left only the master computers near the commander's portion of the room intact. They were located on a raised portion of the room, toward the back where the person in charge could see everyone in the room at once. Luckily, the computers up there had additional plating, since they were the most important. None of them had suffered more than some scratches from the shrapnel and a bit of paint scorched from the heat.

Iria made her way over the master console. Turning one of the machines on, she was immediately asked a password for entry into the system. "Okay, Bob. It's showtime." She pulled a data plug from her wrist computer and inserted it into the command terminal.

"How long do you think it'll take for him to get into the system?" Yuri asked.

"With all of the numerous and expensive encryption and protection programs they have in this multi-trillion credit juggernaut that took nearly three years to build?"

The soothing tones of a feminine voice came from the computer and said, "Password accepted, Mr. Cool Guy Bob."

"About ten seconds," Iria finished.

"You're losing your touch," Kei chided to the device on Iria's wrist.

"Hey, now. Some of those protection programs were state of the art," Bob defended.

"Kei's just jealous because she can't get past the protection programs on her own computer," Yuri said with a delighted smile on her face.

"That only happened once when I was drunk and forgot my password!" Kei shouted back.

Yuri continued snickering and took the commander's chair next to the console. The snickering stopped as she examined the screen, taking in everything upon it. Her course of action decided, her fingers initiated an elaborate dance across the keyboard. She could have used the voice activation program, but there was something reassuring about using her hands to go through the programs and systems. It might have had something to do with feeling more in control. Or maybe it was just that feminine voice the computer used grated on her nerves.

Within seconds, Yuri came to a disturbing conclusion. "Most of these files have been erased."

Iria and Kei looked at each other, the same answers to the unspoken question on their faces.

Iria said, "Zeiram wouldn't bother erasing a computer. Even if he knew how, there wouldn't be any point to it. That's not the sort of thing he cares about."

"Maybe this thing isn't really Zeiram? Maybe it's something that just looks like him," Yuri suggested.

"It was him," Kei assured her.

Yuri spoke while scrolling through the various programs "Well, someone erased most of this system, and I doubt if it was the personnel on the station. I can't imagine what reason they had, and it would take them days to restore the information. We can... oh shit!" Yuri hissed out.

"What? What is it?" Kei asked.

"'Oh shit', is right," Bob said in almost the exact same tones Yuri had used, despite his voice being the result of a voice synthesizer.

Yuri double-checked the readout on the computer. It still showed the same thing. That was it then. There was only one thing left to do.

She jumped out of the seat and ran at full speed towards the ripped off doors to the command center, her injured leg not hindering her in the slightest. "The station's reactors have been set to overload and are going to hit critical mass in about ten minutes. And there's no way to stop it since they hit the point of no return about five minutes ago!"

It took a moment for the words to sink in for Iria and Kei. That was sufficient time for Yuri to disappear through the doorway to the center. The duo looked at one another, and in stereo, said, "Oh shit."

Both women turned and headed for the doorway. They had almost left the raised portion of the room when Iria turned around and headed back to the computer.

Kei stopped in as much disbelief as concern. "What are you doing? We have to get out of here!"

"One second!" Iria snapped as she reinserted the Bob's data plug back into the terminal and removed the majority of the device from her wrist. To the remaining piece still attached to her arm, she said, "Can you download everything to your main bank on the Creeper?"

There was a pause, followed by, "No, but I can get a lot of it. Just leave this access port for me here, and I'll transfer as much as I can before it goes boom."

"Right!" Iria left the device behind as Kei urged her onward. There was a bit of reluctance at leaving even something as small as Bob's access port behind; it felt too much like abandoning a comrade. Mentally, she had to remind herself that this wasn't really Bob at all, just an outlet for the real him stored on the main computer on the Creeper. He wouldn't be in any danger when this link was destroyed. But the action still bothered her.

"Come on!" Kei insisted as Iria rejoined her and the two headed towards the docking bay their ships as quickly as they could.

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"Bad troubleshooter. No more donuts for you. They'll only slow you down even more."

"I was only late because I had to wait for Iria to catch up!"

"Then why was she a good thirty seconds ahead of you when you two finally reached the docking bay?"

"Because she's shorter than me."

"That means her stride is shorter. You can cover more distance with each step."

"It also means she's lighter than me, since she's shorter, which means she could move faster. Now if we were the same height, then I'd be lighter than her, of course."

"She's wearing armor, Kei. You're wearing a bikini."

"Hey now! This stuff is made out of Tyra-armor cloth. It weighs more than your average normal fabric."

"Let me guess, your tan helped weigh you down too?"

"Just be quiet."

"I mean, come on, Kei. She's nearly two decades older than you, and she wasn't anywhere near as out of breath as you were."

"Shut up, Yuri!"

"You sounded like a dog in heat with all of that panting and wheezing. Poor Muhgi probably thought you were going to jump him."

That caught Muhgi's attention. He looked suspiciously at the pair of women who were manning the flight controls, then slowly backed out of the cockpit of the Lovely Angel. He really didn't care for the direction the conversation had suddenly taken. Best to let something else distract them so the discussion turned away from him. He liked his partners well enough, but they really scared him with how weird they got every now and then.

Kei looked out the front viewport of the cockpit of the Lovely Angel. The space station was continuing to shrink into the distance as their ship and Iria's pulled away as fast as they could. Already they were at a safe distance from the station, but neither wanted to take any chances. "So when is that sucker supposed to explode?"

Yuri read the chronometer on the control panel. "In three... two... one."

Both looked at the space station again. There was a small blossom of red near the top of the central spire of the station, then nothing.

Kei smirked at her partner. "Gee, Yuri. I was expecting something a little more spectacular."

Yuri looked at the space station with a mixture of surprise and disgust. "It was supposed to blow up."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm serious," Yuri insisted. "Those reactors were set to overload and explode. I saw the countdown."

"You probably stumbled on the program to somebody's toaster oven, Little Miss Computer Expert."

"I did not! I know what it said!"

"Or maybe it was all a hoax just to get me to run for my life so you could make jokes about my running speed."

It was in the middle of Yuri's next protest that a line of red spread out from the middle of the space station, running the complete length up and down. Once the vertical line finished its course, the station split into two equal halves, perfectly symmetrical in shape. The two drifted apart until they were a half kilometer away, then the left half glowed red while the second half was covered in a nimbus of white. Then two massive, soundless explosions occurred, turning that area of space into a miniature star with its light for one brief moment. The ensuing explosions each vaporized nearly half of the remains of the station, with the rest of the debris shooting outward and into the vastness of deep space.

"Ohhh. Pretty." Kei clapped her hands in approval. "Looks like I owe you an apology, partner." She gave Yuri a hard slap on the back.

There was a note of resignation in Yuri's voice. "There goes another space station up in smoke. You know they're going to blame us for it. Now we get a whole new round of 'Oh my God! It's the Dirty Pair. Don't clear them to land or they'll destroy us too,' at the next place we visit. That always happens after something blows up around us. Always."

"Which is why there's no point in fretting about it," Kei said in an effort to cheer her partner up. "Let's hook up with Iria and see what we can get out of the information Bob managed to snag before everything went boom."

"I guess we ought to." Yuri's eyes were drawn to where the DX-11000 station had been a moment before. Complete eradication. It would take a miracle to find any evidence in that debris. If it hadn't been for her and Kei happening on the station when they did, and escaping with their lives, no one would ever have known what had really happened.

It made her wonder what was really going on.

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"Most of the information in the mainframe was completely erased. It was definitely a professional job. What they got to was totally wiped out without any chance of recovery."

"I sense a 'but' in there," Iria said.

Iria had returned to the Lovely Angel again, the trio gathering in the conference room onboard. The Creeper V was too small for them to talk easily, and Bob was able to interact with the Lovely Angel's systems with ease. It had taken the man turned computer about an hour to thoroughly sift through the information he had scraped together from the from the station's download. In the interim, the women compared notes on the criminals they had captured over the course of their careers, each side being impressed by some of the noteworthy felons they had snared. There had even been several that both sides had grabbed at one time or another. "Small universe," Iria remarked at the coincidences.

The small talk ended once Bob presented the information he had obtained. "It's clearly a rush job. They didn't manage to personally erase everything. They set a program in there to delete the remaining information, except for reactor systems. But the program didn't run as fast as they thought it would. There was still a little bit of material left when I downloaded it."

Yuri thought about that. "They probably erased all of the important information, then set the reactor to overload and figured that would take out everything else before anyone got there to find out what really happened."

"Could be," Kei agreed. She certainly couldn't come up with anything better.

"Something else as well," Bob said. "The reactor information was untouched so nothing would interfere with it overloading. All of that data was intact. Whoever set the thing to overload didn't hack into the system. They had the codes necessary to get in there and reprogram it themselves."

Three sets of eyes met, the same thought running through them. Iria was the first to give voice to the suspicion. "An inside job of some kind then."

"No way Zeiram was behind it," Kei confirmed.

Yuri's mind processed all of the evidence they had. "Zeiram somehow comes into being, pops up on that station, wipes out every human being on board, except for deranged highly trained military expert that is completely out of place there, then once we escape from the creepy monster, someone who has inside information comes by, kills at least one of Zeiram's little nasties, then sets the station to explode, presumably without Zeiram on it."

"He definitely was not there," Bob piped in.

All of the women stared at him. "How do you know?" Iria asked.

"I processed all of the data I could. Most of it was garbage, but there was at least one gem. This is some footage I managed to salvage from one of the docking bay security cameras. The picture is absolutely miserable, but here's what I recovered. It's the best I could do."

A hologram projector built into the center of the table activated and showed the footage Bob had managed to recover. In the beginning seconds, nothing but static filled the screen. Then there was a change as the picture cleared just enough to make out the unmistakable form of Zeiram getting onboard a ship. Several moments later, the ship took off, and the bay became as quiet as the tomb it had become.

"Damn!" Kei's fist hit the metal table top powerfully enough to shake it.

"What?" Yuri asked at the outburst.

She pointed at the static-filled image hanging above the table. "That cargo hauler he's getting on. It's one that was in the bay when we landed the first time. I didn't even realize it was missing when we came back until I saw him get on it there."

Bob spoke again. "I can confirm that that is the same bay which we entered. Regrettably, the port log was completely erased, so I don't know when that ship originally came on board, where it was from, or what its cargo was."

"What about what direction it left in?" Yuri asked.

"That time frame for the automated scanners was intact. They took a 20275 heading away from here. But they could have easily changed their course after they were out of sensor range."

"How about when they left? There is a time log on when it departed, right? I thought I saw it on the picture," Kei said.

"Yes. Thirty four hours and seventeen minutes before we arrived."

The others looked at Bob in confusion. "That's way too long in between when they left and when the reactors blew up."

"Information indicates the reactors were originally programmed to explode an hour and a half before we arrived," Bob informed them.

"Plenty of time for someone to get off the station while leaving a cushion in case something unexpected happened and they had to delay the explosion," Iria estimated.

"But not if they left thirty six hours ago," Yuri said quietly to herself.

"You think someone else came on board after Zeiram left and set the station to explode?" Kei asked.

"I'm not sure, although it does seem to make sense," Iria admitted. Yuri nodded her head in agreement. Bob remained silent, unwilling to come to any conclusions without more information.

No one spoke for the next few moments, each left in the privacy of their own thoughts as they considered their situation. Bob was the first to break the silence. "So what do we do now? Alert the 3WA?"

"No." Iria's answer was quick, almost like a gunshot. It had much the same effect as one since everyone's attention was suddenly riveted to her. "We still don't know what's going on, other than it appears there might be a third party involved. I want more information before we announce that we know what's happened here and that Zeiram still exists. I don't want to wonder if the people I'm spilling my guts to are somehow involved in all of this. No sense in putting a bull's eye on our backs if we can help it. Besides, Zeiram's mine and Kei's personal demon. We should be the ones to kill him. At this point other people would just get in the way."

She watched Kei and Yuri nod in agreement. Apparently they were content to defer to her, at least for the moment. Iria accepted that they might try to take charge after some time had passed, given the fact they were legal representatives of the most powerful law enforcement agency in the galaxy and quite capable of handling themselves. She made certain to return the favor by keeping her mind open to any proposals they might have in the future.

"So what do you think we should do?" Yuri asked.

"Bob, did you pull an exterior registry number from the ship that took off with Zeiram?" Iria asked.

"It's a bit fuzzy to make out, and one of the numbers is either a one or a seven, but the others are within an eighty-nine to ninety-eight percent certainty. I won't be able to run a check on them until we get to a planetside information network I can hook up to. From there I can get to some sort of vehicle registration list and try tracking down ownership of the vehicle."

"That's a pretty weak lead," Yuri mentioned.

"Right now it's the only clue we've got." Iria closed her eyes for a moment, then announced, "We're going to head to Delabar."

"Any particular reason why?" Kei asked.

"It's the nearest major inhabited planet," Iria explained. "It's also the last known direction Zeiram headed towards. Given his propensity for killing, and if he had any idea of where he was going, that makes it his most likely destination."

"And he has a thirty six hour head start on us." Kei let the implication of what damage Zeiram could to a population in over a day go unspoken, though with the butchery all three women had seen, it didn't take much imagination.

They just hoped there would be a population left to save once they arrived.

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[End notes]

Not sure if the mix I have of the initial emotional material at the beginning and the new information to the plot provided in the second half was a balanced mix. The Iria-Kei relationship needed to be explored, and will continue to deepen as the chapters progress, but at the same time I didn't want to bog the reader down with a lot of mostly emotional passages to take up the majority of the fic. Hopefully it worked.

Sorry this took so long to do. No apologies really other than I felt the need to do several other fics first and that I've been exceptionally busy. The next one shouldn't take as long, since I've gotten most of the other fics out of my system.

D.B. Sommer


	3. Chapter 3

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot

Chapter 3

A Dirty Pair, Iria: Zeiram the animation crossover.

Any and all CC appreciated. You can contact me at:

Standard Disclaimer:

I disclaim I own any of the Dirty Pair characters or the folks from Iria: Zeiram, the Animation

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An ocean of brightly dressed people seemingly stretched from one side of the downtown street to the other. The mass of commuters hurried across the road, darted in-between cars and massive transport trucks, emerged or entered buildings, accosted street vendors, or simply moved quickly in what appeared to be giant circles.

While the ground was dominated by the living, the massive buildings that were built so close together, commanded the skies, threatening to stretch all the way to the heavens. They hemmed the populous in, as though the streets were nothing more than an enormous maze designed for the gods to watch the indigenous population of Zanibat, the largest city on Delabar, scurry around like a giant colony of lab rats.

"Gee, there seems to be an awful lot of people still alive for a place that Zeiram was supposed to be hanging out," Kei said.

"This is odd," Yuri admitted to Kei as she narrowly avoided being trampled by a small herd of commuters that broke off from the main pack and were frantically scurrying about. Apparently getting to work at the last minute was a habit of the citizens Zanibat.

For all of her efforts, one man towards the end of the throng jostled Kei. He hesitated for only the briefest of moments, taking the hat (another cultural trait since everyone wore one) off his head without losing his pace, and gave a brief nod over his shoulder to Kei. "Apologies. Places to go." Without another word he continued onward.

Iria listened to Kei growl at the man, only to be bumped a second time by another person. Iria had yet to be jounced since she had elected to remain behind the pair, allowing them to bear the brunt from the streams of humanity. It worked, somewhat.

"It's possible Zeiram is in hiding and building up an army of his monsters so he can more effectively demolish the planet. That was his basic strategy on Myce." Iria found she had to raise her voice to be heard; the din of traffic was threatening to drown her out. She turned her attention to the computer on her wrist and held it next to her ear. "Did you find any information on an increased number of disappearances anywhere on the planet?"

"Nothing yet," Bob said as he constantly scanned the general flow of information that was being broadcast over open frequencies.

"Maybe Zeiram didn't come here after all," Yuri offered.

"Damn!" Iria's shout was loud enough to be heard over the clamor of the city, causing several people to look her way (though not bothering to do more than slow down. They did have 'places to go'). "This is the only lead we had."

Seeing Iria's temper begin to fray, Kei took it upon herself to comfort her mentor, much like the bounty hunter had done with her when she was younger. "He could still be here. And if he's not, well, this is Zeiram we're talking about. It's impossible for him to lay low for long."

"We're the best troubleshooters the 3WA's got," Yuri bragged. "We'll dig up something on him."

Bob spoke up. "Get me direct access to a computer terminal that's hooked up to an interplanetary database, and I can begin a real search."

"Yes. That is the first thing we should do." Iria felt herself calming down. She should have known better than to expect Zeiram to simply be rampaging down the streets, making himself an open target for the three of them to take out before dinnertime. But she had wanted him dead this instant. Every minute of the trip to Delabar, which had only taken a day, made her hatred of Zeiram increase. Upon seeing the static-filled image from the station's camera of Zeiram, Iria had picked up the same impression Kei had: this was the exact same monster that she had killed before. Working from Kei's assumption that this was the original Zeiram had been a driving force for Iria before viewing the tape, but upon seeing the monster's form, even electronically that feeling that this was the original tripled as Iria felt the suspicions satisfied within herself.

She had failed to get any sleep, though with her current emotional state there was no chance of her combat abilities being hindered by that. She was a better fighter now than she had been all those years ago, but managing to kill Zeiram had been as much a matter of luck as skill. Besides, there was no telling if her adversary had gotten more powerful over the years as well.

Too much was unknown. They needed to find Zeiram and the mystery behind his resurrection. "What's the nearest public access building?" she asked Bob.

Power ran through a neural net, accessing systems that Bob thought of in terms of actual memory rather than electronically stored pieces of data. "The Benjamin Dover Library is located only a couple of blocks southeast of here. It's open to the public, so we'll be allowed to hook up to an off planet net and get all of the information we need."

"Let's go," Iria forced her way through the teeming throngs of people. They would be back on Zeiram's trail in a matter of moments. The library was only two blocks away, after all.

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"How could it possibly take over half an hour to walk lousy two blocks?" Iria grumbled.

Kei shrugged. "I think it was because we were fighting the flow of traffic instead of going with it. It would have taken us even longer if things hadn't died off at the end."

"Probably the end of the morning rush around here," Yuri said as they stared at the Benjamin Dover Library.

The library stood in stark contrast to the other megalithic structures that were the norm for the capital city of Delabar. Whereas most of the other buildings were sixty plus stories high, the library was no more than ten, though constructed of the same material, decorated in the same style, and adorned in the same dull slate-gray tones as the other buildings. It was squat, its base taking up three times the space that the other buildings did. It appeared as though it could have at one time been among its taller brethren save for the fact one of the gods had compacted it with a giant sledgehammer.

"It looks like they don't take their literature as seriously as they do their other businesses," Yuri stated blandly as she compared it to the other structures. The other buildings still had many people going in and out of their doors. The library had nary a soul to do either. At least it meant they could probably get a computer link right away.

The trio of women entered and were surprised to see that the interior contrasted sharply with the outside. Bland and indifferent without, the inside was a menagerie of bright colors, from blazing red carpeting to banana yellow walls that would make others believe that if they peeled the plaster away a white fruit would be found underneath.

"Reminds me of your apartment," Yuri commented to Kei.

Through two sets of transparent doors, the women entered the lobby and saw an obese man sleeping upright in a one of the comfortable chairs lining the entryway. He was dressed in an outfit that identified him as a security guard who was currently securing as much sleep as he could. Beyond him was a long, semi-circular desk that stretched nearly the entire length of the lobby. To the right and left were the entrance and exits to the library proper. A mechanical laser marker and pass system to count the number of people that entered the library was next to them. Behind and above the desk, in large red lettering, was the word, 'Greetings.'

There was but one person manning the massive front desk: a young blonde woman that wore a business suit that looked more suited for a boardroom than a receptionist. Kei noted the girl was far more attractive than the squirrelish types she had become familiar with in the few libraries she had been in during her life. Curiously, it was almost always older and more shrewish women that were the norm at most places; an odd universal constant whose reasons escaped Kei.

The librarian, Janet Nagumo, turned her attention from her pile of paperwork and looked the three newcomers over. The assessment was cursory and concise: two bimbos wearing little more than overly large bikinis with sidearms strapped to their hips and a third, older woman that was shorter than the others and less bimbo looking. She bore a distinctive mole on her left cheek and wore a worn-looking brown cloak that hid her torso from sight, but allowed the white and black body armor that covered her legs to show clearly. She even had a pair of high-tech goggles resting on the top of her head, completing the macho, ready for action look. Janet hated women like this; they reminded her of her old job.

The receptionist's open reaction was to raise an eyebrow at the trio. "I think you're in the wrong place, ladies. Babes and Bullets is two blocks farther down. All we have here are books that have lots of words in them, not pictures."

"Ha, ha," Kei retorted dryly. "Are you usually this courteous to people that come here looking for information?"

"Most people don't come here armed if they're looking for information." As Janet watched the trio carefully, a vague sense of unease began to take root. There was something about the two bimbos that seemed familiar to her.

Yuri could feel the time they were wasting. She said, "We need access to your computers."

"I doubt if they'll do you any good. There's no voice activation system so you need to be able to spell to use them."

Kei suppressed the urge to pistol whip the girl, no matter how badly she deserved it. "Look, we're troubleshooters with the 3WA."

"And I used to be an accountant with them before coming to my senses and quitting," Janet retorted. "That doesn't give you the right to come barging in here arm..." her voice trailed off as her eyes widened and she gasped. "Oh, crap! You're the Dirty Pair, aren't you?"

Two faces began twitching.

"You look a whole lot older than I thought you'd be."

The faces twitched far more violently.

"Look, you worthless numbers cruncher," Yuri growled in irritation, "we're here on an official assignment and have the authority to go around armed."

"So shut up and let us through," Kei snapped.

"I want to see that authorization in writing." Janet held out her hand.

"It's an emergency situation and lives are at stake so we don't have to," Yuri said, crossing her arms, content that she had the upper hand.

Janet's scowl increased. "I don't see an emergency. Toby! Wake up!"

The security guard awoke with a snort. He looked around and tried to reorient himself to the world around him.

Janet said, "These women are illegally armed. I want you to escort them out."

Toby looked the women over, assessed the situation, and reacted accordingly.

"They don't look armed to me." He sat back in the chair and closed his eyes again.

"Spineless bubblebutt," Janet mumbled under her breath.

"Now you'll let us in." Kei said it as a statement, not a question.

Regardless, Janet crossed her arms defiantly. "No. I know you two. You're going to blow the place up and leave me without a job, and maybe without a life too."

This was the part Yuri hated the most; their undeserved reputations. "We do not destroy everything and everyone around us!"

Janet shot to her feet and began wagging her finger at Yuri. "Yes, you do. Part of my job was to help manage all of the payments to the grievances that were filed against you for the damage you inflicted on the galaxy at large. That was one of the reasons I quit. You two were personally responsible for making me work around the clock!"

"Are you sure it wasn't your pitbull like demeanor that failed to endear yourself to your coworkers which drove you away?" Yuri said with a sly smile as she leaned forward and over the desk.

Janet leaned forward in answer, unwilling to back down. "Do you remember three years ago how your budget was slashed and your salaries cut back?"

"Of course." Yuri had been forced to cancel a vacation with her then boyfriend due to the twenty-five percent pay cut.

"Those were based on my recommendations."

It was Yuri's turn to suppress pistol whipping the woman, no matter how much better it would have made her feel.

While the two women traded deadly looks with one another, Kei wandered over to the entryway to the main floor of the library. Examining the laser marker and pass system next to it, she noticed a small metal box protruding from the device. It was easy to see that was where library members could slide a passcard through to shut down the field and walk through to be counted. It also seemed to route the primary supply for the machine as well. Getting a solid grip on it, Kei gave a powerful tug. A glance over her shoulder showed Yuri still locked in a test of wills with the librarian. Kei spit into her hand, gripped the box even tighter, braced her foot against it, and pulled hard.

Yuri and Janet broke off eye contact at the sound of bolts being forced from the housings. They turned to see a box of metal and protruding wires being casually tossed in the air by a wickedly smirking Kei. She repeated the gesture a couple of times before tossing it to Janet, who reflexively nabbed it out of mid-air.

"Aww, that piece fell off and now the system seems to be broken." Kei said with a remarkable amount of wide-eyed innocence.

"I guess we can go on in then." Yuri gave Janet a 'we got you' grin as Kei and Iria proceeded to enter the library proper.

Just as the trio passed by the now burned out entryway, a trembling Janet, determined to get one last shot in, shouted, "Hey, Kei! Remember how Sergeant Bastian said the reason he broke up with you was because he felt your relationship was going nowhere and emotionally his needs weren't being satisfied?"

Kei answered, "Hell, yeah. We went out for almost six months and I really liked hi... hey! How did you know about that?!"

Janet shook her head sadly. "I was afraid of that. He must have forgot to mention that the sex with me was ten times better, too." As a final gesture of contempt, she stuck her tongue out at Kei.

It took all of Iria and Yuri's strength to restrain the redhead from storming back and twisting Janet in ways that weren't anatomically possible.

Once Kei was calmed down enough for the other women to escort her further into the library and out of sight, Janet slammed the ruined piece of metal into the desktop. She turned to relieve her irritation at the nearest available target.

Taped to the chair, written in a barely legible scrawl was a note. It said: "Emergency root canal. Won't be back for a few days. Places to go. Toby."

At last, Janet's shoulders slumped in defeat and the librarian began hitting her head into the desk top. She should have known better. Now she was learning the lesson so many others had already discovered.

Nowhere was far enough away to be safe from the Dirty Pair.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I wish I had your people skills."

"Oh, be quiet," Kei snapped back at Iria.

A smile crept across Iria's features despite her fiercest attempts at hiding it. Watching Kei in action had been amusing. Still, she was uncertain if she would have dealt with the situation any better than the troubleshooters had. The librarian had been a royal pain from the moment they had entered the building, though the history she had shared with Kei and Yuri went a long way to explaining it. Had those comments been directed at her, Iria probably would have pistol whipped the mouthy little bitch.

Once inside the main floor of the library the trio looked about the room in wonder. Numerous shelves stuffed full of written books formed aisles tens of meters long in every direction away from the front. There were at least hundreds of thousands, if not a million books within the building if every floor held the same.

The trio moved to an open area in what they assumed was the center of the building. Looking up they could see the sunlight pouring through the skylight ten floors up. Open stairways led upward to each level that was surrounded by what appeared to be blackened wrought iron railings that would have been more appropriate for an outdoor balcony than the interior of a modern building.

Kei appraised the upper floors. She didn't like railings. It seemed every time she ended up in a shoot-out with people and there were railings nearby, at least several of them ended up plunging over the side after being shot and would die in excessively flamboyant fashion. It was like something out of a cheesy low budget action thriller. Maybe that was what her life had become, save there was no good looking guy waiting for her at the end of the movie, and the outcome was looking increasingly bleak with each progressive year.

The unusual melancholy that threatened her backed off when Yuri let out a low whistle. "Take a look at all of these books. I can't believe they haven't converted them all to disks. Can you imagine how much space they would save?"

A voice drifted from behind a section of shelves. "That is because of specific instructions left by the founder of the library, Mr. Benjamin Dover."

The speaker wheeled into view from the set of library shelves it had been returning books to. All three of the women recognized the model of robot by sight: an AR-10 Manservant Droid. Built low to the ground and having the general shape of a garbage can, the robots only came as high as Iria's chest, the smallest of the women present. There were movable plates on the outside that opened to allow a multitude of slender utility arms to emerge from the main body of the robot. Each limb possessed a different tool that had a specific function. They were a versatile item that had a limited amount of popularity on the open market about five years ago due to their low cost. But since then they had lost what favor they had to newer, more efficient, and less twitchy models that were being manufactured.

"Blech. Don't they have real people here to work the place?" Kei never cared much for robots doing other people's jobs. Part of that was because so many of the darn things had tried to kill her in the past, though she supposed that was a bit biased since far more human beings had tried to kill her than robots. And most of the time the robots were acting under orders from other people. Still, she preferred dealing with human beings rather than machines. Flesh and blood were far more unpredictable and interesting than a robot that only performed whatever functions it was programmed to do.

"There are a handful of security guards, maintenance personal, and human librarians to deal with certain tasks," the robot explained. "But the majority of work is handled by myself and fellow siblings of the AR series. There are over a hundred of us to deal with the maintenance of books and other materials in the library, as per Mr. Benjamin Dover instructions. He felt we would be more efficient in upkeeping the physical written material within the building than humans would. I am proud to say that during the five year tenure here not one page has even been accidentally creased by myself or any other siblings of my series."

"What was that you were saying about Mr. Dover wanting so many real books here?" Yuri asked. She could not recall the last time she had seen such in incredible sum of written material in one place, except for the forms' center in 3WA headquarters. That building was at least three times as large and packed to the top. Nowadays only collectors, primitive cultures, or traditionalists tended to use or even want written books. Most people found electronic information more convenient. Yuri admitted that was the way things had to be, but she still had a weakness for paying the extra money for a real book now and then, especially for her favorites: harlequin romance novels. Kei had always criticized them as 'corny smut that was better used to wipe your ass with than read,' but Kei was tasteless, so Yuri understood and ignored the invalid criticism.

The robot 'cleared' his throat, similar to how Bob usually did to gain the others' attention. "Mr. Benjamin Dover was one of the wealthiest men on the planet, making his fortune from brokering information. When he was towards the end of his life, he decided he wanted a suppository of information that -"

"Wait a minute!" Iria interrupted. "What was that again?"

The robot began repeating what it had previously said. "I said that when he was towards the end of his life, he decided he wanted a suppository of-"

"Hold on," Iria interrupted again. "Do you mean 'repository'?"

The robot processed the information. "Yes. That was it. Sorry about that. Programming glitch."

"I'll say. I think I could do without an information supplement of that kind," Kei giggled.

"Continue," Yuri ordered.

The robot picked up where it had left off. "As I was saying, he decided to create a suppository of information that would benefit everyone. However, he was afraid that there might be some sort of cataclysm that would wipe our ability to employ technology, or somehow eliminate access to the information net. For without the ability to build upon the knowledge of others, the centuries of advancement of civilization could possibly be lost within a generation. So he created hard copies of the information that would more commonly be stored on datadisks. Before you is the greatest suppository of books -"

Kei began giggling. "Hey, Yuri. Why not try their War and Peace enema? I hear it's long, but satisfying, just the way you like it."

"Did I say something humorous?" the robot asked.

"Just continue." Yuri shot Kei a warning glare that seemed to not affect her partner in the least.

The robot did as it was ordered. "Before you is the greatest suppository of books in this section of the galaxy. Mr. Benjamin Dover invested the majority of his billions into the library. It took over a hundred people ten years to track down all of these original books and another three years to restore them to their high quality. Nowhere is there a collection that is as comprehensive or as vast as this. If I was capable of pride, I would be proud to announce that the library is scheduled to be classified as one of the modern wonders of Delabar."

"Ha, ha! I can see it now!" Kei interrupted, barely able to speak between laughs. "Come to Delabar and see the Ben Dover Book Suppository, where you'll leave sore but smarter. WAHAHA!"

Yuri's face turned red in fury at the childish behavior. Before she could say a word, Iria gave a curt, "Knock it off." Much to Yuri's surprise, Kei did so instantly, even going so far as to say she was sorry and placed her hands behind her back in shame. A sincerely contrite Kei was not something Yuri had seen all that often even after a decade of being partners. In a way, it was disturbing to see her acting so docile. But not so much that Yuri failed to wonder if she could do the same thing. She'd have to get Iria to give her some pointers.

This time it was Iria who took charge. "Not to be rude, but you do have computers here linked to off-planet information nets, right?"

The robot almost seemed reluctant to admit it. "Yes. There are banks located on levels five, seven, and ten. But I must recommend you check out a book. It's not often you can have access to so many reading possibilities, and there is little that is as enjoyable as holding a real book."

"Have you ever read one?" Kei asked.

"No," the robot answered.

"Then how would you know if they're enjoyable or not?"

The robot was silent for a moment. Then it began to utter a continuous string of, "I... I... I..." By the time it had hit the twentieth one in rapid succession, it began jiggling and smoke poured out of its top.

"Kei, you moron," Yuri chided. "You've got it stuck in a paradox loop. You know how twitchy AR-10's can be."

"But it's a legitimate question," Kei pleaded.

There was a loud squawk by the robot as flames shot out of the round groove the swiveling top was attached to. Like a rocket at blast off, the head suddenly shot up and into the air and going almost as high as the sixth level before losing its velocity and falling back down, nearly landing on Iria in the process. It bounced once before coming to a stop on the floor.

"It's not my fault," Kei said.

"Yes, it is," Iria and Yuri said simultaneously.

The sounds of people roused by the noise reached the ears of the trio. "Let's get out of here before we're blamed for this one," Kei said as she made for the nearest stairway.

"But you ARE responsible for it," Iria protested as Yuri shot past her too. She watched as the two girls ran up the stairs and disappeared on the fifth level.

Bob suddenly came to life on Iria's wrist. "Are you going to stick around and explain things?"

"Of course not." Iria pulled a small object from a pocket on her weapons belt. She held it straight up in the air, aiming for the underside of the sixth level that was next to the stairway Kei and Yuri had just ascended. She pushed a button on the side and a small spike with a wire thin cable attached to it shot out from the top, traveling upward until burying itself in the metal that composed the ceiling of the fifth level. A second button on the cable climber was pushed and Iria ascended the wire, pulled by the small but incredibly powerful motor inside the device.

Upon reaching the appropriate level, she hit a button that released some slack in the line and allowed her to arc above the railing and land on the fifth floor itself.

"Most people would have simply walked up the stairs," Bob pointed out.

"It's a good thing I'm not like most people then." Iria grinned as she retracted the line and hurried to catch up to her companions.

By the time she arrived they had already sat down next to a terminal: Yuri at the keyboard while Kei was seated in a second chair next to her.

"Allow me," Iria said. Yuri deferred to her and got up so that Iria could sit next to the keyboard, despite the fact she was not going to be the using it. Yuri pulled up a third chair while Iria plugged Bob into the system.

"Now we wait." Iria kicked back in her chair, Kei and Yuri following suit.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Unknown to the trio of women, shortly after Bob first accessed the system and began entering his queries, a certain program flared to life in response to the keywords in the questions. Information was gathered, and a decision was made in less than a second. A multitude of programs became active simultaneously. A security camera pivoted away from the shelves it was pointed at to where the trio were seated. Visual images of the women were captured and their pictures were sent out to another, far larger and faster set of computers located in a building within several miles of the library. Almost instantly more signals were sent across the planet until a match was made at the spaceport with the identities of women and their ship. More information was gathered as off-planet databases were accessed. Theories were extrapolated and were given to the individuals that had activated the program in the first place. A decision was agreed upon less than a minute later, and a message was sent.

The entire process took less than four minutes.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alan Wierzbaski hurried past the seemingly endless series of identical cubicles until he arrived at the one designated as his, differentiated from its fellow cubicles only by the number engraved on the slot next to the opening to it. Megashorne and Valoxy would not even allow their workers' names to be assigned to their workspace. 'Individuality negatively affects work performance', or so it was stated in one of the endless sea of memos that were circulated to the workers every day.

Alan tossed his trenchcoat, then his briefcase on one of the few open spaces on his desk and plopped himself down in his chair with an audible thump. The cubical was cramped with barely enough room for him to work, but at least he could partially stretch out his legs if he pushed the back of the wheeled chair flush with the desktop next to his computer. And he could definitely, one hundred percent plop. He had enough room for that, and when all was said and done, wasn't that all a working man needed to make him happy?

At least the day wasn't turning out as bad as Alan had feared it would. He had managed to avoid detection by his supervisor (an important man; his cubical was four inches wider and Gasp six inches longer than any of the other worker ants under his command), despite being fifteen minutes late. 'Tardiness Breeds Inefficiency' or so it was stated on one of the other memos that had been sent to him at some point.

A head popped up from around the corner of his cubical. "You're late," the man announced.

Alan gave a sad shake in the newcomer's direction. "My dear Conroy, how many times must I explain it to you? It's like cheating. If they don't catch you, then you weren't late."

"Only because I punched in on time for you," Conroy waved the extra card before Alan's face. "One of these days this little scheme of yours is going to fail when they see you're punched in but not actually present."

Alan smiled. "In the two years we've been doing this have we ever been caught?"

Conroy seemed to relent a little. "No."

"And I've covered for your lard ass too, I might add."

"Okay, okay," Conroy finally relaxed. "Just be careful and don't cut it so close next time."

Shrugging, Alan said, "Couldn't be helped. I managed to pick up a, shall we say, companion that elected to spend the night with me. She was very reluctant to let me go when she awoke this morning." He unleashed a wolfish grin.

Conroy made no effort to hide his jealousy. "I don't know how you manage to pick up so many women. Good looking ones too."

Alan ran a hand through tousled hair. "I'm more slick than you can possibly imagine. I've got moves that have to be seen to be believed."

"Thank god I'm not a woman and have to put up with that crap," Conroy chuckled. "Just don't be late again." He went back to his cubical, allowing Alan a chance to begin his workday.

"System on," Alan said as sound bafflers activated to deaden the noise coming from his cubical, (a possible distraction to other workers, as was stated in a memo...) and his computer turned on. He picked up a wire that was connected to the back of the computer and inserted the plug on the end of it into the headjack implanted in the back of his neck. With a direct hookup from his technologically altered brain to the computer, work would be more efficient. That he had a headjack was one of the primary reasons he had been hired at Megashorne and Valoxy in the first place.

"You have mail," the seductive female voice of his computer whispered in his mind. He had programmed it himself. They hadn't regulated the computers' audio systems. Not yet, though it was probably only a matter of time. Some day it too would undoubtedly meet the same fate every other sign of individuality had thus far.

"Show me," he said aloud, though it was unnecessary since he was broadcasting directly from his mind to the interface of the computer.

There was no return address on the message; just an anonymous letter with an attached datafile with it. Alan wasn't stupid enough to open a strange file directly into his mind. Instead, he mentally opened the letter as he prepped his mail program to delete the datafile.

The letter was simple, containing only one sentence.

"It's time for the chimney sweep to dust."

The reaction was instantaneous, almost mechanical in nature. He downloaded the datafile into his mind. As he did so, he opened his briefcase and brought out another data plug. He removed his own, processing the information downloaded in his mind while at the same time inserting the other dataplug and activating the independent program attached to it. All traces of the mail were completely erased from the system. He removed the dataplug and closed his briefcase. Getting out of his chair, he turned off his system and exited the cubical.

Conroy caught sight of Alan as he passed by the cubical. As quickly as possible without doing himself damage, he removed his own headjack and stuck his head out of the entryway. "Where are you going?" Conroy said as loud as he stared at Alan's rapidly disappearing form.

"I'm sick. Places to go," Alan said without bothering to look over his shoulder at his best friend.

There was no one in the halls as Alan made his way to the elevator. Within moments a car came up, devoid of any occupants. That was good. He had no desire to explain to anyone else why he was leaving work early.

The elevator sped downward, and Alan resisted the urge to tap his foot in impatience. There wasn't much time. The library was only two blocks away, and with the majority of the morning rush traffic gone, it would take him only several minutes to make his way there. After that, he would have to move even more quickly. They could only be stalled for so long before losing patience and trying a different building. Tracking them would be next to impossible then since he would be out of contact with the local master computer.

During the time spent plummeting groundward, Alan began mentally planning the stages of his impromptu assignment, going over all of the information that had been dumped into his mind. Schematics of the library and its defenses were provided. Intelligence on the targets was sorted through. Two 3WA agents and an outer rim bounty hunter; difficult prey under the best of conditions and these were some of the worst. The only thing Alan had going for him was perhaps the most critical factor of all: surprise. That would have to be enough.

As the car came to rest at the bottom he emerged quickly, moving as fast as he could without attracting undue attention. Once outside, he flagged down a taxi, making certain it was driven by a robot instead of a human. Alan was going to have to prepare himself in the cab, and a person would ask too many questions.

The robot gave a pleasant, generic greeting that Alan ignored and asked him for his destination. Giving it in a rough voice, he sat in the backseat and took off his trenchcoat as the car left the curb and pulled out into the thick, but moving, flow of traffic.

It was time to prepare for the mission. The business suit was discarded, leaving a skin-tight, slick-surfaced body suit with several holsters and a belt of various pouches on his frame. From his suitcase he pushed aside a secret compartment (undetectable to even advanced sensors) and pulled out the handful of weapons placed within. A laser pistol with two extra magazines found its way to the holster strapped under his arm. Strapped to his wrist was a necro-lash and its spring loaded housing. A stiletto, just a simple piece of metal unlike the rest of the equipment, went into a sheath concealed in the calf of the body suit. A multi-optics headband that would enable him to see anything from vast distances to scanning in the infra-red or ultra-violet was tucked into the inside pocket of his trenchcoat, the device would attract too much attention if he wore it outside now.

Then came the more exotic equipment he had requisitioned the last time he had been with the people that were really paying his salary. Several very special circuit boards that could adapt to any standardized computer system were placed within a small pouch on the waist. Those would potentially prove very useful in his plan. And last was a very special surprise, a weapon of last resort should the need arise. It was an experimental unit that his superiors had been reluctant to allow him to possess, but he had convinced them of the need and assured them that it would be best if they allowed the device to be field tested under real combat conditions before it was mass produced. Hopefully the situation wouldn't come to that, and he would take care of the women with either his initial or primary back-up plan. But as his instructors had hammered painfully into his mind and body, you could never have too many failsafes, just too few.

By the time the cab pulled up to the library another three and a half minutes had passed. Alan emerged dressed in his trenchcoat. It was pulled tight across his frame and stopped short of his ankles. As tight as it was it would make him suspicious, but he had no real choice. He had to be ready for combat in an instant, and his orders were clear that everything else, including blowing his cover, was secondary to eliminating the three primary targets. He had no restrictions when it came to succeeding in the mission.

Alan entered the building. According to the library's database there would be a receptionist and security guard in the entryway. A laser pass system would allow access to the library proper. Alan already had an automatic pass under an assumed name from visiting the library on a couple of occasions when he was first assigned to the local branch of Megashorne and Valoxy. It hadn't been the only one. He had visited every building in a three block radius in order to get a layout of the area and formulate possible avenues of escape. It was what he had been trained to do.

Instead he found a note where the security guard should have been, the pass system damaged, and the receptionist with her head lying on top of the desk. She didn't even look at him as she simply ushered him forward with a wave. A bizarre situation that put him on edge, but things were going his way. He had been prepared to kill the receptionist and guard, then seal the front doors to the building should the need arise. This made things easier. He prayed it would remain that way.

Through row upon row of shelves he passed by, noting how few patrons were here at this time of day as he began searching for something in particular. According to his internal chronometer it had been seventeen minutes and twenty-three seconds since the trio of women first logged onto the system. They would be getting impatient by now, but should still be in the same location. If they could not be detained for a full half hour before abandoning the building, then computer ops were not doing their job and it would not be Alan's fault if he failed in his mission. Besides, he needed to gain additional support. He would not underestimate his opposition. They had to be eliminated.

Within another twenty seconds Alan spotted what he was looking for. He approached the security guard with a questioning gaze, making certain to give a friendly smile. A smile always put others at ease.

"Can I help you sir?" The guard beat Alan to his own question.

"Certainly," Alan said with a relieved look on his face. He made certain his back was between the nearest security camera and the guard. Alan moved close, then placed his hand under his jacket and whipped out his gun, using a subtle motion that should not have drawn attention to anyone, even if they were staring right at the monitor of the camera.

Quickly, Alan spoke before the guard could start babbling or try to take control of the situation. Alan needed to keep him quiet and off-guard. He spoke in a low, menacing voice that was little more than a whisper, yet allowed every word he said to be heard perfectly. "Listen to be carefully. Ask me no questions or I'll kill you right now. If you obey my every command without hesitation I'll let you live. Defy me in any way and you die. Now nod your head if you understand me."

Making no effort to hide his fear, the guard barely managed to do so.

"Good. First relax. No harm will come to you unless you bring it on yourself, and you don't look like the self-destructive type." Alan employed a soothing tone to ease the guard's nerves somewhat. Once the guard seemed to relax slightly, Alan placed the gun in his pocket, obviously keeping it trained on the guard. "Next you will lead me to the control center located on the ground floor. I know where it is so do not try to take anything other than a direct route to it. Once we arrive, you will gain me entry and enter the room ahead of me. If someone asks who I am, tell them I am your cousin from Latiyon and you are showing me where you work. Any attempts to betray or delay me in any way and I'll kill you and everyone in this building. Now we go."

The guard started to open his mouth, and was met with a, "Ask me a question and I'll kill you. Now go and walk as quick as you can without running. That was your only warning."

The guard, trying his best to keep from screaming out in terror and making an dash for freedom that would only get him killed, led the way to the control center. They left the main interior of the building and went down a long 'Authorized Personnel Only' area of the library. They encountered no other people as they walked down the yellow corridor, eventually arriving outside a centimeters thick metal door that was labeled 'Control Room.' There was a slot for a pass card located next to it, embedded in the wall.

"You will enter first. I will be right behind you," Alan softly intoned, trying not to look at the security camera outside the door and wonder if the guards inside were watching.

Hands shaking, the security guard barely managed to pull out his pass card and enter it in the slot. There was an audible double beep that reminded Alan of the sound his computer made when it first came on. A green light flashed on the unit and the door slid soundlessly to the side. The guard entered the room, Alan moving right behind him.

The two guards inside, each with a cup of some black liquid substance in their hands, looked up in surprise at their visitors. The older of the two spoke, "Hey, Eb'an. What are you-"

No further words left her mouth as Alan, who had remained directly behind Eb'an so the others in the room wouldn't see him clearly, moved to the side, gun out of the pocket and raised in their direction. In the span of less than two heartbeats crimson bolts flashed and sped true, hitting both of the sitting guards in the head. The older one bent forward and slumped to the table top with an audible thump, while the other guard fell sideways and crashed to the floor. His cup broke, the sound producing a muffled tink as the ceramic shattered on the metal floor.

Eb'an gave a gasp as he spun in horror, confronting Alan. His eyes widened even more as he saw the barrel of the laser pistol pointed at his face. "But you said you wouldn't kill me," he blabbered, even as he lost control of his bladder and a wet spot formed in the crotch of his mahogany pants.

A half dozen responses formed in Alan's mind to Eb'an's statement. Rather than saying any of them, he fired. The shot caught Eb'an squarely in the temple, sending his body falling backward. His instructors had been quite thorough in their training about that. If you intend to kill a man, kill him quickly. There was nothing to be gained in toying or speaking to them unnecessarily. Hesitation of any kind only gave the target or one of their allies the opportunity to save themselves or delay you in some way so that you failed in your mission. That was unacceptable.

Alan put another shot in each of the guards' heads before closing the door behind him and moving to the primary computer in the room. His information had been specific about the capabilities of the system and the passwords involved in accessing it. He shot off the metal plate to the interior of the machine and pulled out several of the circuit boards, replacing them with the ones he carried. He turned on the system, disabled all of the internal alarms and exterior communication, save at the computers that the women were using. He then went to the robot command protocols and typed in a new set of instructions. That was where his new circuit boards would be most useful, disabling all of the fail-safe devices in the robots' design and instantly allowing them to operate with the new set of commands Alan entered. He slaved the robots to a small keypad he carried with him. Typing a brief command in the keypad, he found his order accepted. All was in readiness.

He looked at the security cameras on the fifth floor of the building. All three of his targets were still present and in the exact same position he had expected them to be in. Satisfied that the second step of his plan was now in place, and that he still had time to get to his targets, he exited them room, closing the door behind him and blasting the control pad. It was suspicious, but not as condemning as someone finding three dead bodies in the room.

Moving with the fluid grace of an animal stalking its prey, Alan went to a back set of stairs that lay well out of sight of his targets and rushed up to their floor. The entire layout of the level still resided in the datafile in his mind and the quickest path that would afford him the most concealment was plotted. Pulling out the multi-optics band from its pocket, he placed it on the top of his head and then removed his trenchcoat and proceeded to stuff it in an open place high on one of the shelves. Leaving it on would be a risk, the long garment possibly catching on something and slowing him down for an instant at the worst possible moment. An instant was the unit of time where life and death resided.

Alan was still in the processes of tucking the garment out of sight when an elderly woman rounded the far end of the shelves about ten feet away. A soft gasp escaped her lips as her eyes fell upon the gun in Alan's holster.

The reaction was instantaneous. Alan brought his arm up and hit a button on the side of the housing unit attached to his wrist. There was a soft, whirring sound as the necro-lash ripped through the air, little more than a white blur. It was not energized as it wrapped itself around the woman's throat and bit deep, preventing her from managing even the soft whisper of a gasp. Had it been powered up, it would have lopped the woman's head off as easily as a molecular blade, but there would have been an accompanying crack and the distinctive odor of ozone had Alan employed that function. Instead, with the metal cord around the unfortunate stranger's throat, he jerked hard, snapping her neck before she could do more than bring her hands up in to her throat in a half-completed, futile gesture of trying to remove the lash from her neck.

Leaving the cord around her neck, he dragged the body towards him and as out of sight as possible between the rows of shelves. A quick look into the main aisle showed no one present to have witnessed the killing.

Now it was more a matter of time than ever. Even as deserted as the library was at this time of day and as far to the back as Alan was on this floor, someone would stumble upon the dead woman soon enough and alert the remaining staff. He had to move fast.

Silently, he maneuvered between the long rows of shelves, moving as quickly as he dared as he drew nearer to the targets. Luck was with him as he encountered no one else and drew into position several meters away from the women, hidden behind another, smaller row of shelves that were common in this section, interlaced between the handful of computer banks present. All three had their backs to him. He identified each in turn: Iria, the bounty hunter was sitting at the computer itself, the troubleshooters, Kei and Yuri, standing to the side in obvious agitation. Their attention was completely riveted to the computer screen, just as Alan had hoped. There had been a few distractions along the way, but overall the plan had held together. Within minutes his job would be completed and he would depart, hopefully without further incident. Then he could hear about his handiwork on the evening news as he waited to receive his bonus for the successful completion of his mission.

The laser pistol cleared its holster as Alan placed his finger on the trigger and brought the gun up in a firing position.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This is ridiculous!" The stress in Bob's usually sedate voice was clear to anyone within ten meters.

"I can't believe how long it's taking either," Yuri muttered under her breath.

Kei no longer felt like complaining, instead her eyes become half-lidded as she considered trying to catch a nap while Bob continued trying to download information. The same information he had tried to get at for the last twenty-five minutes or so. Iria just sat there, irritated and wanting to kick the screen in.

Iria noticed the state Kei was in. "Wake up!" The command was sharp, much sharper than Iria had intended. Rather then apologize, she allowed her irritation to get the better of her and continued. "You can't be that tired. It hasn't even been a half hour."

Kei, awake, said, "You always said you get sleep where you can find it, since you never know when you might not get it later."

"I never said that," Iria replied crisply.

"Um, well, someone did." Kei scratched her head as she tried to remember who it was that always used to tell her that.

Iria went back to staring at the screen.

It had started out easily enough. Bob immediately logged onto the computer and accessed planetary sources to discover any information on the registry of Zeiram's transport spaceship, as well as any updates on Zeiram, the space station, or anything else that seemed peculiar or unusual in this section of space. For the first several minutes, things had gone well with Bob getting some useful information from the planetary resources. It was when he had tried to communicate off-planet that things had slowed to a standstill. At first, it was nearly impossible to get an off-planet link. When they eventually got one, it had given information at an incredibly slow rate. And just as it seemed they might get some possible news on the ship's registry, they had lost their link. It had taken over ten minutes to reestablish it.

"What's keeping it this time?" Iria muttered to Bob.

"Now they're saying sunspot activity is preventing a decent off-planet transmission," Bob said. "But I've never had one slow down things to this degree. If they were decade old systems that might be one thing, but this stuff is current hardware. There's no way it should be taking this long."

Just as Iria was about to add a comment the screen flashed blue and text began scrolling at a rate too fast for the naked eye to follow. "It's about time," Iria muttered as she waited for Bob to stop the screen for their benefit should he come across anything useful.

Even Kei sat up and took notice. "Let's see. There we go. That's Intergal's ships systems. Now let's execute a search for the number and, HEY!"

A collective moan went up from the three women and Bob as the screen went dead black once again. There was nothing at all upon it, not even a cursor.

"Now what's the problem?" Iria asked.

"Lost the link again. And not just the off-planet one, but the link to the planetary network as well. I've never had anything like this happen before. Maybe a system crashed somewhere or they're suffering from some sort of virus," he explained, as much anger evident in his voice as the others.

"I say we give it one more shot, then go to another terminal elsewhere," Yuri said. "If that doesn't work we'll go elsewhere on the planet and see if we can have better luck with a link up there."

"Good idea," Kei agreed, though she would have been happy to leave now and never set foot in the stupid building ever again. And she sure as hell wasn't going to check out any books.

Iria's eyes bored into the screen as she scowled at it in anger. This was one of the reasons she preferred allowing Bob to deal with computer. She couldn't threaten, cajole, or convince the blasted things to work, unlike people. Machines either did what they were supposed to do or they didn't, and unless you really understood the systems, there wasn't much a person could do about it.

She remained staring at the black screen, trying to will it to work. She was concentrating so much at it that, with the way the lights overhead shone off the plastic, she could see everything that was reflected in it. Herself, Kei to the right, Yuri to the left, the man directly behind them, coming from around the shelves and leveling a gun at them.

Decades of battle-honed reflexes took over as Iria lunged out of her chair and to the left, tackling Kei while at the same time lashing out with her right foot lash out and kicking Yuri squarely to the right, the blow hurling the dark-haired agent to the side and behind a nearby computer desk. The momentum built up in the tackle hurled both Kei and Iria towards a row of shelves, one that they would not reach even with the force Iria had hit her companion with. There was the sound of a computer screen shattering, even as the two went backwards and Iria twisted in mid-grasp, placing her body between Kei and the gunman. The sounds of laser blasts filled the air. There was a loud whine next to Iria and she felt the armor above her elbow heat up slightly.

Upon hitting the ground, a blast of air surged from Kei's lungs. Between Iria's tackle and the unexpectedly hard landing, the redhead was left gasping for breath. Without a moment to catch it, let alone try to resist, Kei found Iria's arms go from merely tackling her to wrapping themselves around her waist. Iria forced the two of them to spin across the hard floor, 'steamrollering' as several more laser blasts impacted with the floor where they had just been. The black and white tiles buckled from the blasts, giving off a shattering echo as small pieces flew all around. One hurled sliver of metal caught Kei across the cheek, the nick drawing a tiny trickle of blood as the sliver continued through and lodged in the spine of one of the nearby books.

The duo were behind the shelves, temporally out of the line of fire. Iria had given the shelving a cursory evaluation before and judged them to be composed of a sturdy metal and hoped that it and the books that sat on them were thick enough to stop whatever pistol the gunman was using.

In less than a heartbeat Iria drew a pistol from her belt holster, opting to leave her other hand free rather than drawing a second weapon. There were no immediate following shots, so Iria spared a glance at where she had felt the her armor heat up. There was the telltale scoring of where a laser blast had hit it. Judging by the mark, the armor had partially deflected and absorbed the shot that would otherwise have made a deep, painful gash in her left arm, probably knocking it out of action. She'd need to repair the damage later.

A hand fell on Iria's shoulder as Kei sat up and tired gasping out a query. The bounty hunter guessed what the question was. Iria afforded a glance over her shoulder to see that Yuri had already gone into a squatting position behind the computer desk with laser pistol drawn, not yet daring to poke her head from around the side.

Shouting out loudly so Yuri could hear, Iria said, "Gunner in our six! Laser pistol and I couldn't tell its make. Don't know if he has anything else!"

Behind the shelves, Alan mentally threw in a curse as he tried to come up with a new plan of attack. The bounty hunter had not only somehow perceived his attack from behind, but had managed to shove both of the other targets to safety. The sneak attack had yielded him nothing, save perhaps one of the shots hitting the rolling women. And even then he doubted it was debilitating. Even worse, the targets were now separated, making it that much easier to flank him. His situation had gone from ideal to horrendous within less than five seconds. Outmaneuvering them for the kill was going to be difficult.

Outmaneuvering! Of course. He had nearly forgotten his back up plan. He pulled out the mini-computer from its pouch. His fingers moved deftly across the tiny keypad, doing it by touch as he kept his ears and eyes peeled for the sounds of the opposition. In the first several moments he heard the gasping sounds of someone trying to catch their breath. The gasping disappeared as he finished entering the last command. Reinforcements were on their way, but it might take them time to move into position. He had to move now before the women caught him in a crossfire.

Not daring to look around the corner, he gazed at the opposite end of the shelves from which he had attacked. There was another row across the aisle and slightly forward of where he was that would completely hide him from their line of vision, and would afford him a better angle of attack, and perhaps a bit of surprise if they didn't see him change his position.

Taking a chance that even if the women were looking they would not react fast enough, Alan ran on the balls of his feet as fast as he could and leaped across the distance between the rows. He only chanced one look in mid-air in the direction of the women undercover as he hung in high in the air, completely vulnerable to attack. No shots arced towards him, nor were there cries of alarm. As his body went behind the shelves and out of sight, he tucked into a ball, rolled across the ground and came up into a crouch, gun ready. A self-appreciating smile formed on his face. That had been perfectly executed, just as his instructors had taught him during his extensive training several years ago. He hadn't seen any of the women looking around the corner, and the soft padding in his suit had muffled the run and landing so that there was a good chance they were unaware of his change of position. It wouldn't last long if he was guessing correctly, but it should last long enough.

Deciding to gain even more ground, he darted across a second aisle away from the others. Again he was convinced he hadn't been seen. Going to the far end of the shelves he was now located behind, Alan glanced around the corner, gun brought up to bare. What he saw made him smile.

The trio of women kept their heads low as they tried to organize themselves and come up with a plan. In spite of what Alan had believed, both Yuri and Iria had heard the sounds of him running, but neither was able to identify what the sound exactly was and just knew that he was 'up to something'. By the time they dared catch a quick glance, Alan was already out of sight in his new position.

Now that Iria had a chance to think, she came to the same conclusion Alan had. The advantage was now on her side. Given that no one else had fired on them since the appearance of the gunman, Iria surmised he was most likely alone. If she was correct, he was outnumbered, most likely outgunned, and was about to be outflanked. The only thing she thought they had to be cautious about was that he didn't manage to take one of them out with some form of suicide attack or from just plain luck.

Not wanting to risk being overheard, Iria made a series of hand signals indicating what she had planned. It was simple, and took only moment for the troubleshooters to understand.

"Let me go," Kei whispered. She loathed the idea of being left behind to give cover fire with Yuri while Iria risked her life by running forward to get a better firing position on the shooter, hoping to either kill him or force him from his cover so that either she or Yuri would get him.

Iria whispered back, "I present a smaller profile and my armor will protect me from any glancing shots."

"I still think I should go," Kei insisted.

"You're also a better shot than me. I trust you to keep his head down while I'm out in the open."

"Well, there is that," Kei reluctantly admitted. Not that Iria was a bad shot, unless her marksmanship had slipped over the last few years, but Kei was still one of the most accurate shooters the 3WA had.

Iria patted Kei's shoulder affectionately. "Then it's settled. Keep his head down and get ready to pop him when I flush him out."

Reluctantly, Kei assented. Yuri nodded to let them know she was ready. Kei went to the far end of the shelves and around them, partially abandoning her cover so that she would have a slightly better angle at hitting their mysterious assailant. Kei would cover the section closest to Iria; the most likely place that the gunman would fire from. There was an increased risk involved for Kei to even partially reveal herself, but there was no way she would allow this creep to come close to injuring her mentor. She'd sooner let herself be shot than allow that to happen.

Yuri popped up from behind her the computer desk and pointed her gun at the shelves. Iria had her own pistol out and tensed up, ready to run. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Iria nodded once and started to run.

What unbelievable luck. From Alan's position, he could not make out either the bounty hunter or the dark-haired 3WA troubleshooter, but the redhead was plain for him to see. She had moved dangerously far from her cover to aim in the direction of his former position. Just as he had thought, his maneuver had been successful. With his target concentrating so intently on where she was aiming she didn't even cast a look in his direction. It was going to be too easy.

Alan was about to shoot when Kei opened fire first. For a moment he panicked, thinking she had spotted him, but one look showed she wasn't firing anywhere near his current position. Wanting to get a clear shot and leaving no doubt that he would take out one of the targets this time, he left his cover, similar to what Kei had just done. From this new position he was much more, though not completely, in the open, but now Kei had no cover she could get to before he fired, even if she spotted him at that exact moment.

He lined the redhead up in his sights as his finger tightened on the trigger.

Just as Alan was about to squeeze off a shot, a second target came into his line of sight from a slight distance beyond Kei. Identification was instantaneous: it was a security guard, weapon drawn and looking in surprise in Alan's general direction as he tried to assess the situation. Reflexes took over as Alan switched targets and aimed for the guard's center mass. Twice he fired, both blasts catching the guard fully in the chest. They were obviously fatal wounds as the man reeled backward from the hits. Alan pushed the guard out of his mind as reacquired his first target, who was only just now reacting to what had happened. There was still no time for Kei to move as the sights were lined up on her once again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As much concentration as Iria was pouring into the row of shelves before her, watching for the gunman should he choose to reveal himself and try to shoot her while she was out in the open, she still caught the sight of the crimson laser blasts originating somewhere to her right; a location that should have been clear of any fire from both friends and foes. She looked fully in that direction, more concerned about the possible unknown threat than the known one. It took only a second for her to see all that she had to. It was the same gunman, his laser pistol pointed in a direction that only one person lay.

"NOOO!" Iria shouted at the top of her lungs as she felt a fear that might have been more powerful than anything else in her life. There wasn't time to properly aim, so instead she settled for shooting in the man's direction and snapped off several quick shots, praying they would be enough to throw his aim off.

The first blast struck the shelves about a foot above the Alan's head. Sparks were thrown up from the laser impacting against the metal, and fell on some of the books. A second caught the middle of the laser pistol, hitting right above the trigger. The rest went wild, not coming close to the man.

Finding himself unexpectedly under fire, Alan darted back under cover rather than risk a shot at Kei. Hoping the move would buy him a few moments, he examined the condition of his gun. Melted metal and open wiring told him all he needed to. With a snarl he tossed the useless weapon aside and activated his necro-lash, this time charging it up. He considered employing the experimental weapon, but quickly pushed it from his mind as he found himself reluctant to field test it under these conditions. It would be better to rely upon something he was familiar with than to risk it all with something he had no faith in.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yuri was confused. For some odd reason Iria had broken off her run and fired several shots in another direction, unmindful of the fact her true target was supposed to be in front of her. She began to wonder if there really was a second opponent when one of the AR-10 robots rolled up the aisle and stopped right next to where she was crouched behind the desk.

"Go away!" Yuri hissed. "We're in the middle of a firefight! I'll check a book out later." She returned her attention to Iria and tried figuring out exactly what was going on.

The robot remained where it was and stated in clipped tones. "You have a book that is three years overdue. The late fee for that is death."

The words registered with Yuri just in time as she saw a blur come from out of the corner of her vision. She ducked and the robot's shock arm, a device used to eliminate rodents and other vermin, struck the back of the desk right where Yuri's head had been. Judging by the small shower of sparks kicked up by the contact and the sharp smell of ozone, the dark-haired woman judged the shock arm to be somewhere near its maximum power, perfectly able to crispy fry her. Ordinarily, civilian production model robots were programmed to be incapable of harming a human being, even the glitchy AR-10's, but it would still be Yuri's luck to find the one that was programmed to believe books were more important than people's lives.

Yuri stopped wondering what was wrong with the robot as a second arm shot forward from its concealed housing inside the main body. Yuri forcefully threw herself on her back as a whirring, cutting blade arced to where her face had been but a moment before. Now prone on her back, Yuri was finally able to bring her gun up as she fired five times at point blank range into the AR-10. The first three hit it in the main body, blasting through the metal and melting both circuits and wiring within. The remaining two hit its inverted bowl-shaped head, destroying half of the rounded top.

"Geez, Yuri. What did you say to that one?" Kei called out from her position behind the shelves once more. Iria had saved her life, but was now out of her sight. Kei was worried about her and would have charged forth of it hadn't been for the robot's unexpected attack on her partner.

"I didn't say anything! It thought I had an overdue book and tried to kill me!" Yuri shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Wow. I guess they take their literature pretty seriously around here." Kei whistled, impressed. Maybe she should get a library card for here after all.

Yuri again shouted, "What I want to know is if this is the only one or, KEI, LOOK OUT!"

Kei threw herself to the side as a shock arm hit the shelves, nearly striking her. Again sparks flew up, this time catching onto several books that were resting right below the impact point and causing the pages to start burning. Kei reacted instantly as she gave a hard kick to the top of the robot. Its balancers unable to compensate for the sudden force, the robot fell backward, bearing a strong resemblance to a kicked over trash can. The imagery was reinforced as Kei pumped multiple blasts into its body, the insides of the robot spilling out onto the floor from the huge chunks of its exterior that the redhead blasted out of it.

"This is why I hate robots," Kei spat.

"I think we can now safely assume it's not a glitch and that someone's reprogrammed them." Yuri saw two more of the machines dart from a position farther down the aisle and wheel their way towards her and Kei's position.

Another one came at them from the side and forced Kei to open fire. She was beginning to get worried. Not so much for herself, but for Iria, who was now on her own. True, the bounty hunter had done all right operating alone for years, but that did nothing to assuage Kei's fears. If anything happened to Iria while she was dealing with a pack of rolling garbage cans, she was never going to forgive herself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Making herself flat against yet another row of shelves, Iria took her eyes off where she thought the gunman had darted to see what Kei and Yuri were shooting at. It took only a moment to figure out what was going on as she saw another robot reduced to expensive debris under the women's concentrated fire. Returning her attention to her former opponent, Iria made a mental note to shoot any of the AR-10's that tried to get close to her.

The gunman was the one behind the robots sudden spree; of that Iria was certain. Hopefully, killing him would end their rampage. If not, then the repair bill for the library was going to be even more substantial than it already was. But there were more important thing to be concerned about than money, like her continued health.

Slowly, Iria began to creep closer to where she thought the man had disappeared. She was no more than a couple of meters to the adjacent aisle when she detected the scent of ozone in the air. There was a soft whirring noise that sounded familiar, but that Iria was unable to identify. It was right on the tip of her tongue, but still it wouldn't come to her. That was annoying, she hated it when a memory was tantalizingly out of reach. The noise did have the effect of causing her adrenaline to rush. Instinctively, she ducked just as a white blur surrounded by a luminescent azure glow whipped over her head and through the shelves she was behind as easily as cutting through water. Six centimeters lower and it would have done the same to the top of her head. And then it came to her.

"I've got it: a necro-lash."

Iria was greatly relieved that she had finally managed to remember what the weapon accompanying the sound was. She was not so relieved when the severed portion of the shelves landed on top of her.

Alan was quick to take the advantage. He kept the lash back, prepared to use it again as he ran forward to see the results of his handiwork. He was rewarded by the sight of Iria lying there, prone on her back with the shelves pinning her down, covering a third of her body. Her gun lying next to her just within reach.

Iria spotted and recovered the sidearm just in time to see the necro-lash descend towards her. She fired upward, luck as much as skill playing a role as she hit the lash in mid-swing, deflecting it wide so that it spun backward and made a diagonal slash across another section of shelves and caused it to fall to the ground.

Unable to bring his own weapon into play for a moment, Alan found the pistol suddenly aimed in his direction. Instead of retreating, he did the unsuspected and went on the attack. Narrowly avoiding a shot that nearly hit him in the shoulder, he jumped in the air and landed upon the section of shelves on top of Iria. Her armor partially absorbed the impact, jarring her rather than doing any actual damage, but it made the second crimson bolt go wide. She didn't get a third shot as Alan kicked the gun out of her hand, sending it flying several meters away. However the kick, administered from the top of an uneven surface that was balanced on top of another uneven, and moving surface, caused Alan to pinwheel his arms in an effort to stay upright, the lash curling dangerously about through the air. It was a futile gesture, as he went tumbling from the top of the shelves and to the floor, nearly severing his own arm with the necro-lash.

Unable to extricate herself from the shelving, Iria wasted no further time as she went to her belt and tried pulling out the only weapons she had that would be effective against the necro-lash. She was rewarded when hands fell on the handle, but when she tried to pull it out, she felt resistance and discovered it too was partially pinned by the shelves. From where she lay she could see her opponent recovering his balance and turning towards her. He leaped back several feet so that he could get the distance necessary to utilize his necro-lash properly. Using all of her strength, Iria managed to pull the weapon out just as her opponent's weapon descended towards her unprotected head.

There was a play of light as the necro-lash met a long, whip-like coil of metal spikes, the two weapons becoming entangled with one another. Alan tried to draw back his weapon but they were hopelessly intertwined. Unwilling to abandon his next to last offensive weapon, he maximized the retraction on the housing unit and drew back with all of his strength, determined to rip Iria's bizarre weapon out of her grasp if nothing else. The strain caused Iria to grimace as her arm was pulled taunt by the force used against her. For a moment it appeared the handle would slip out of her grasp, but instead she held on until, rather than her weapon coming free, she did as Alan's strength succeeded where hers alone had not and he pulled her out from under the shelves.

A tactical error, he realized. Luckily, by hitting the extension on the necro-lash he had the slack to disentangle his weapon. Still laying on her back, Iria reacted by grabbing a tiny rod, barely twice the size of a coffee stirrer, attached to her shoulder armor and throwing it at her opponent. Just as it left her hand two smaller pieces sprung out from the top and formed a tiny propeller, spinning around and stabilizing its flight as it headed toward its intended target.

Alan recognized the particularly nasty device as a 'Boom Cutter.' Its specially treated propellers would burrow into an object, working its way to the insides a moment before exploding. He barely got his head out of the way in time as it whizzed past, the wake from its passage tickling the tiny hairs along his ear. The sound of the propellers digging into the ceiling tile lasted only a moment before an explosion detonated the ceiling nearly above him, pelting him with debris and forcing him to cover his head.

The pieces were still falling when Iria used her free hand to dig a small oval device from her belt, an open flame lit on the top. Alan's eyes widened as he recognized the fire grenade. There was no time to dodge, so instead he swung at it with his necro-lash, catching it in midair and slicing it in half.

Flames burst forth in a balloon-like explosion. The premature detonation halved the strength of the blast, forcing both warriors to cover their faces as they allowed the force of the explosion to blow them backward and take them out of the miniature firestorm rather than be consumed by it.

Stunned for but a moment, Alan lay on his back, out of Iria's sight, and assessed the damage from the blast. He had been closer and taken the worst of it, at least bruising some ribs if not breaking them outright. Moreover he lacked the armor Iria wore, meaning she was almost certainly in better shape than him, as well as obviously being better armed. There had been no mention in the woman's dossier of bring a walking arsenal.

The sound of something crackling at his wrist caught his attention. His guts knotted deep as he looked down to see that the housing unit for the necro-lash had been cracked open, either from explosion of landing. A quick check showed the weapon useless. Cursing in silence he hit the manual release of the weapon and let fall to the ground. He was down to only one offensive weapon left; just a standard stiletto.

Now he had a choice. There was a chance he could escape. Then he could report what had happened and hope to be left in the field despite his failure. It was possible; his employers despised wasting any resource. And even if he was demoted it would only mean a paycut and no chance of ever advancing again unless he fell into favor with a superior who would elevate him to a field operative once again.

No. Pride refused to accept failure as an option. Win or lose, he would gamble with his life and hope his skills were enough to pull him through. Either that or get extremely lucky, though he had always been of the opinion luck was one of his many skills. It was time to put that theory to the ultimate test.

Smoke filled the air and the room became hotter as the incendiary device had done its work too well despite being muted. All too combustible books had caught on fire around and the flames were spreading, creating a miniature inferno. The configuration of the battlefield had changed, more in his favor than Iria's. It might be enough to allow him to complete his mission. It had to be.

It was time to risk using the prototype. In theory, activating it should be no problem for it had worked in the testing facilities. But that had been under ideal conditions, and one of the suspected drawbacks of the device was that it wasn't very durable. After being hammered in the explosion and with all of the other combat it had seen in the last couple of minutes (an eternity, to Alan's perceptions), it would take a minor miracle for the device to still be operational.

It took Alan a moment to come to the realization that all of his fears were pointless. Either the device would work or it wouldn't. Hesitation forgotten, he retrieved the circular object from its pouch on his belt and placed it on the ground. Satisfied it was stable, he activated it.

Complete darkness sprang into being in a thirty foot radius.

It had worked! The darkness field would absorb all visible light both within and without its field of effect. Artificial or natural, nothing would be seen as long as the field was active. However the same did not apply to the non-visible spectrums.

Alan dropped his multi-optics headband over his eyes. Instead of being rewarded with a view of a red tinted world, there was nothing but blackness. This time a curse did escape his lips. How stupid he was to not have checked the optics headband out before activating the unit. It had probably been damaged in the explosion as well. Now he was blind. He was as helpless as his opponents.

At least until he remembered to switch the headband on.

The world came into focus as he switched the band to infra-red. That was a bad sign. He was starting to forget his training and panic. A deep calming breath relaxed him. Now he had to move quickly. The 'blackout' would last only a couple of minutes at most due to the small size of the portable unit and the tremendous amount of power it used. A pity once turned on there wasn't enough charge left to turn it off and back on. Another drawback to the unit, but it was up to the weapons development division to work through the limitations of the item. All Alan had to do was use the toys they made.

Silently, he pulled his stiletto from his boot and crept forward, fighting back the hiss of pain his ribs urged him to make. He saw Iria instantly. She was just turning away as she gave her back to him, then remained motionless in the dark, the long whip with the sharp metal pieces along its length still in her hand. Alan thought perhaps she was trying to locate him by sound, but it wouldn't work. There was the crackling of fires from all around, debris still raining down from the earlier explosion, and even the sounds of lasers being shot and robots exploding coming from where Kei and Yuri were. Iria had no hope of hearing him until the stiletto buried itself in her body.

Alan's mind turned to the other targets as he drew closer. He had a suspicion they were still outside the blackout field, judging by the sounds of robots being reduced to spare parts. After dispatching Iria, he would have to pat her down and see if she had another decent weapon. If nothing else, he thought he knew where her sidearm had fallen. He was confident he could recover it before the field collapsed. Then he could use his optics to sight in Yuri and Kei and shoot them from the safety of the darkness. Both of the troublesome troubleshooters would be dead before they knew what had happened.

Mentally he planned his attack. The armor was far from all encompassing. It would be a simple matter to drive the knife through Iria's unprotected neck from behind. All he had to do was remain quiet and it would be over in a matter of seconds.

He approached within an arm's length of the target and drew back his arm. He was surprised that he felt a pang of remorse about killing Iria from behind instead of a frontal assault. His training was supposed to have driven such useless concepts as honor from his conscience. Dreams of his bonus and a promotion quickly dispelled the remorse. He would kill her quickly. That would assuage his conscience. It would all be over with one strike.

It took Alan a moment to understand just how true that statement was as Iria snapped her wrist. The whip with the metal pieces straightened out and locked together, instantly becoming a seamless sword of metal that she raised as she pivoted on her heel and brought it unerringly up to Alan's neck. His eyes widened in shock for one brief moment as he saw Iria's face, suddenly remembering one very important, and fatal, fact he had forgotten in the heat of the moment.

The goggles that had been resting on Iria's head, the ones with the infra-red lenses of their own, were now strapped across her face.

The sword sliced through Alan's neck as easily as it had through air. His head went flying as his body went limp and fell to the ground, the knife falling from his lifeless grasp.

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Iria released her held in breath. It was over, just as she had planned. When everything went dark her first instinct had been to drop her goggles over her eyes. Instantly she was able to see everything, including the gunman holding the stiletto in his hand. Iria decided to save some trouble and pretended not to see him, allowing him to become overconfident and draw close so that she could kill him in one stroke.

Iria looked down contemptuously at the body. Her voice was as cold as a vacuum as she spat, "That's for trying to kill Kei, you bastard."

They were the first words spoken since the fight began and the last. Iria turned from the blood pooling beneath the corpse and ran back to where she heard her comrades continued fire. Through her own infra-red vision she saw Kei and Yuri had maneuvered back to back and were blasting away at the remaining robots. Actually, it appeared to be more of a moping up operation as there were only three left. The poor rolling hunks of metal couldn't even get close to their targets due to the number of their fellow robots that were already piled up in front of the Dirty Pair.

Iria waited until the last of the robots had fallen before shouting out, "Don't shoot! It's me coming out of this dark stuff!"

The duo kept their pistols pointed in the voice's direction until they saw Iria walk out from the field of darkness, which disappeared several seconds after she emerged from it.

"The shooter?" Kei asked.

"Dead," Iria confirmed

"Too bad you didn't take him alive," Yuri said. "It would have been useful interrogating him so we might have some idea of what just happened here."

Iria grimaced slightly. Yuri was correct. Capturing him alive should have been a priority and she could have done it if the gunman had been reduced to using a knife to try and stab her. She had let her emotions get away from her in decapitating the man, but she had trouble feeling guilty about it. If Iria had been even a second later Kei would have most likely been dead. The bounty hunter was surprised at the rage she still felt, even with their assailant dead.

"Like a mother bear defending its cub," Iria mused.

"What was that?" Yuri asked.

"Nothing," Iria quickly said as she moved closer to Kei. Masking it as best she could, looked Kei over for any injuries, knowing well enough that showing too much concern about her health would only serve to embarrass the redhead.

"They must have bought these things wholesale." Kei kicked one of the fallen robots hard. She turned to Yuri. "I nailed eighteen of them."

"I got sixteen," Yuri sighed.

"That means I win. You owe me dinner" Give gave Yuri a 'V for victory' sign that was only matched by the wide grin that accompanied it.

"I never agreed to that!" Yuri shouted back.

"Um, guys," Iria interrupted.

"What?" Kei asked as she shot Yuri a glare that promised the discussion was not over.

"This entire floor seems to be on fire." Iria pointed in the direction that she had come from. The whole area was covered in flames that were not only spreading across the floor, but moved up through the hole in the ceiling that Iria had created with her Boom Cutter, and were now setting the above level on fire as well. Perhaps using an incendiary grenade had not been an idea choice of weapon after all.

"Why hasn't the fire prevention system kicked on yet?" Kei asked.

Yuri pointed at the robots. "I think they were the fire prevention system. I saw extinguishing foam kick up from a couple I blasted."

"That's just great!," Kei snapped as she gazed upon her handiwork with less admiration that before. Their extensive firefight with the robots had ended up setting everything behind them on fire as well. "I think we've learned all we can from here." Kei quickly mentioned

"I agree," Iria said, feeling the temperature rise to uncomfortable levels.

"The stairs we came up were from back there, right?" Kei asked as she pointed at a living wall of flames.

"Afraid so," Yuri said. "And the nearest ones to those were a good way in that direction." She pointed at the section that Iria had just come from, which was also engulfed in flames, a pyromaniac's delight.

"Told you we should have brought jet backpacks," Kei said.

"How was I to know we'd end up trapped in a burning building?!" Yuri waved her hands in the air emphatically. No way was she letting Kei stick her with this one.

Oddly, Kei did not seem that concerned. "Well, we can still make our way to the open area in the middle of the floor." She pointed in one of the few directions where there were only a handful of growing fires.

"We're five floors up!" Yuri protested. "What are we going to use to break our fall, your boobs?"

"Don't get snappy at me just because I have the nicer chest," Kei shot back. "And anyway, it's Iria that's going to save us."

Yuri looked at Iria. "I don't see how. Her chest is smaller than mine."

"Hey!" the bounty hunter snapped. She might have been quite satisfied with the way she was built, but was as defensive as the next woman when it came to her appearance being insulted.

Kei sighed. "She has a cable climber with her. She never goes anywhere without it. She'll just lower us down herself."

"That'll work." Iria nodded in agreement to the plan. The trio raced through the ever increasing veil of smoke, coughing hard, as they made their way to the edge of the railing and looked over the side.

"All clear." Iria shot her miniature cable climber into the ceiling as she had before and prepared to jump over the railing. "Who goes first?"

Yuri looked back at the flames that were drawing closer. It was amazing how easily books seemed to catch on fire. Another good reason to convert everything to datafiles. "I don't know as there's going to be enough time to go up and down twice."

"Yeah," Kei agreed as she began coughing. "Just take us down together. We don't weigh that much."

"Riiight," Iria slowly said as the girls grasped onto her. Tensing up, Iria pushed the cable climber's pull to maximum as the trio jumped over the edge of the railing and to the ground below.

The descent went without incident and they gently sat down on the ground floor. Kei and Yuri detached themselves from Iria. The bounty hunter remained were she was, arm still raised high in the air.

"What's wrong?" Kei asked, concern in her voice.

"Just trying to get my arm back in its socket." Iria grimaced as the duo shot her a pair of dirty looks. "Relax. It's a joke." Not much of one though. Kei and Yuri were definitely heavier than they looked, not that Iria would breathe a word of that with the evil stares she was getting. As skilled as she was, there was such a thing as tempting fate.

Kei's gaze softened first as she was unable to retain her anger. "Do you think they're going to be able to save the building?"

"Surely at least the lower floors," Yuri said, filled with hope, though she was no expert in fire prevention. Causing them yes, stopping them, not quite. "Fire likes burning upward, right? So there's a chance it won't all burn down. As long as the main floor stays intact."

"Umm, Yuri?" Kei said.

"Yes?"

"Did that first robot we ran into say how many of them ran this joint?"

"It said somewhere over a hundred, as I recall. Why do you..." Yuri trailed off as the question was answered for her.

A series of AR-10s, at least fifty, began emerging from the shelves all around, mechanical arms at the ready. Within moments the women found themselves completely surrounded.

"Oh hell." Yuri just gave up as Iria handed both her and Kei incendiary grenades.

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"I don't think they're going to give us a library card now no matter how nice we ask."

"Shut up, Kei," Yuri said, fretting over yet another mark that would be set against them as she stood outside and watched the fire consume the remnants of the Benjamin Dover Library, which would only be a modern wonder of Delabar if they had a fascination with overly large piles of kindling.

"At least that number crunching bitch is out a job," Kei said with a smile. Curiously, that fact made Yuri feel better too. It served the girl right for having their salaries cut.

"We'd better leave before the authorities get here and start asking questions we don't want to answer," Iria said. After fighting off another wave of robots (and incidentally making certain the building was history by starting a huge fire on the first floor) they had searched until they were sure no one else was left in the building. It hadn't taken long as it might have, considering everyone had cleared out when the first firefight broke out. Imagine that.

Fire fighting units had been the first ones on the scene and made certain the fire didn't spread to any other buildings. Or to be more specific any buildings other than the two next to the library that were now also burning. Apparently Zanibat needed to improve their building codes if that was all it took to set their downtown district ablaze, Yuri noted.

The sounds of sirens indicated law enforcement officials were about to arrive, and Iria had no desire to stay with them the next several days for questioning. Zeiram still had to be located and killed, and thus far the trip to Delabar had only wasted time and raised more questions.

"I don't feel like explaining to headquarters what we're doing out here yet either," Yuri and Kei agreed as the three soot-covered women attempted to surreptitiously leave the area.

Once satisfied they had avoided any casual identification, the trio relaxed. Yuri was the first to speak up. "Who do you think it was that attacked us?"

"No one I recognized," Iria admitted. She had been the only one to get a decent look at their opponent.

"We've got a lot of people out for our hide." Kei kicked at a soft drink can someone had discarded on the street.

"But how did he find us?" Yuri asked. "It's not like anyone knew we were heading here. There's no way he came from off planet. Even if he found out who we were the instant we landed, there wasn't enough time."

"Definitely a professional too," Iria commented. There weren't that many people that could put up a fight with her like he had.

"Too many professional killers have been popping up lately," Kei said in frustration, recalling the ambush she had fallen for during her first visit on the space station. "Only one to take us on. Not the best odds in the world, especially with our reputations. Makes you wonder if he was working alone or if he was the only guy around good enough to try to kill us. Also makes you wonder if this is connected to Zeiram or not." Kei looked in the direction of Iria's wrist. "Got any ideas, Bob?"

"Maybe," Bob admitted. "I think I have an idea, but I need to access planetary information."

"I don't know," Yuri said slowly. "Remember what happened the last time we tried that."

"I do. This time I'm going to be more careful. It doesn't need to be anything sophisticated. Just get me to a download to a current information site."

Having no better ideas, the trio agreed. They entered a nearby store that offered current, local information services, paid a small fee, and inserted Bob into the system. Within a moment he stated in a voice that told them his suspicions were confirmed, "I just checked the current weather reports. There is no noticeable sunspot activity today."

"So what?" Kei asked, confused at first, but then recalling what Bob had been saying right before the ambush. "Oh, I get it. Someone managed to control the information we were getting at the library."

A pallor cast over Yuri's features. "That isn't good. That means not only was this guy not working alone, but something big is maneuvering things. That was a public facility. The ability to interfere with its access as quickly as they did is next to impossible."

"Don't forget, there's also how they were able to locate and sic that thug on us so quickly," Iria pointed out.

"I may have been partially to blame for that." Bob admitted reluctantly. "I did a widespread search for anything relating to Zeiram, the DX-11000 space station, attacks on any local planets, and that mysterious ship's registry. Anyone monitoring for any of those keywords would have located our position in a heartbeat. I should have been more cautious."

"It could have happened to anyone," Kei said in an attempt to assuage his wounded pride. "And since this is the nearest inhabited world to the station, they could have been keeping a real close eye for any potential survivors or witnesses and had everything in place to silence them. Hey! What if they're tracking us again?" Kei looked at Bob again.

If Bob had a head, he would have shaken it. "Give me some credit. I do learn from my mistakes. I made sure to be subtle this time, using a fake electronic ID and just asking for a general download. There shouldn't be any way for them to track us right now. And next time I'll be on guard for any potential interference and see if I can backtrack it down to its source. If they try to stop us a second time they'll be in for a rude surprise. I'll probably get more conclusive information from them instead of the search."

Iria shook her head at the implications. "But still, it means whoever it is we're dealing with has considerable resources on this planet if they tracked us, electronically prevented us from getting the information we needed, and had at least one person stationed here waiting to silence us before we could tell anyone what's happened."

Yuri was grateful for the help. Usually she was the one who had to think things out like that. "Now we have a choice. Do we stick around and see if we can uncover what's going on or keep trying to find Zeiram? And do we tell our superiors about what's really happening out here, or do we still keep a tight lid on it? I'm leaning towards sticking around and letting the 3WA in on this, but I'm going to leave it up to you guys."

"If we bring in the 3WA, it might cause whoever's behind this to go to ground. We might never find out what's going on," Kei pointed out.

"Or it might them to get real desperate," Iria added. "They had one guy willing to destroy a building to get to us and kill whoever else got in his way. If we up the ante, they might as well. As long as we keep this small, they might feel the same way too."

"Oh, that never happens," Kei assured her. Lord knew she had enough experience in such situations. Escalating conflict was practically her and Yuri's middle names.

Iria shrugged. "At the very least, I agree with Yuri about staying here and looking for clues. We'll have to be extra cautious since poking our noses around is probably going to alert the opposition. But we don't have much choice. It's not like we have anywhere else to go."

A loud beeping came from Kei and Yuri's communicators. The two looked at each other in confusion, then answered the signal.

Their tiny viewscreens popped on to show a picture of Muhgi in the cockpit of the Lovely Angel. He was waving his paws in the air emphatically as he gave a low series of growls and hisses.

"Damn it, Kei!" Yuri hissed. "I told you to clean out his litter box before we left. If he crapped on my bed again, I'm going to kill you myself and save our friends some trouble."

"But I did," Kei insisted. She turned and addressed the viewscreen. "This isn't about your litter box, is it, Muhgi?"

Muhgi shook his head and pushed several buttons on the communications console. A moment later, an audio signal was sent to the communicators as a light, female voice began singing:

% Fly me to the moon %

% and let me play among the stars %

% Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars %

Kei and Yuri looked at each other, then back at the tiny screen. Yuri said, "Well, the song is nice, Muhgi, but I really don't think we have time to listen to something as overplayed as that."

"Besides, I have at least eight different versions of it on 'The Best of Ayanami' soundtrack I own. All you have to do if you want to hear it is ask," Kei said.

Muhgi shook his head furiously and fiddled with the controls. The music abruptly stopped as a much more authoritative voice said. "-telling you we can't seem to get any response from the mining operation on Asteroid K12. Patrol 54, do a swing by there when you do your rounds. It's probably just a communications breakdown again, but we agreed to help keep an eye out on them."

"Do you want us to head straight out there or complete our rounds by sector 81?" a different voice asked.

The first voice replied, "Complete your rounds first. One missed check in is not an emergency. Besides, there's been reports of smugglers going through sec 81. The chief wants to make sure it is just a rumor. He's been taking some heat from the world council over them. And if you encounter any, make sure you call for back up. I don't want any hotshots trying to bite off more than they can chew. Especially from you two."

"But, sir. We can handle a group of penny-ante smugglers-" came a protest that went unfinished as Muhgi turned the tape he had recorded off.

"You've been monitoring the inter-planetary police bands. Good boy, Muhgi. Extra chow for you when we get back to the ship," Kei promised. She'd even make certain to clean his litter box out this time, which she would have done in the first place if they had had more time.

"It might be just a communications breakdown," Yuri said. She was trying to keep the others from putting too much hope into the potential lead, even knowing all the while that she would fail.

Iria settled things as she broke out into a quick run. "Let's go! We have to get moving if we want to get there before Zeiram leaves."

Yuri sighed as Kei shouted "Wait for me," and tried to catch up to Iria without giving the raven-haired troubleshooter so much as a backward glance. Between what had happened with the space station and the library, there could no longer be any doubts. It had spelled out things beyond a shadow of a doubt.

It had turned into another one of 'those' missions again.

"I'm almost getting too old for this," Yuri sighed as she shouted at Kei to wait up because of her bad leg.

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	4. Chapter 4

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot

Chapter 4

A Dirty Pair, Iria: Zeiram the animation crossover.

Any and all CC appreciated. You can contact me at:

Standard Disclaimer:

I disclaim I own any of the Dirty Pair characters or the folks from Iria: Zeiram, the Animation

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The sound of static reminded Iria of someone crinkling an empty candy wrapper into a ball right before they tossed it in a nearby garbage can. The noise awakened her from the half-dream state she had drifted off to, one she could not remembered entering. It took a moment for the return of full cognizance, and the understanding that the crackling sound was that of a transmission over the intercom. She sat upright in the pilot's seat, her hand darting over to the communications panel of the 'Creeper V' and hitting the transmit button. "What was that?" All she had caught was something about coming over to the 'Lovely Angel.'

Static was all that met her in response. Deeply concerned, she rose out of her seat and went to the corridor that now connected the two ships and made her way over to the much larger 3WA transport. Once in the corridor, she paused to watch the stars flash by, each trailing a long streamer of light as the ships bypassed the more conventional laws of the universe by traveling through hyperspace. For a moment, Iria was struck by a sensation similar to vertigo, but the feeling passed by quickly and the universe returned to normal for her.

"Weird," she murmured as she punched the code in the control pad that opened the Lovely Angel's airlock and proceeded to enter the ship. A momentary whim caused her to make a quick stop by Kei's quarters. There was nothing there, save an enormous mess that reminded Iria that no matter now much Kei grew up, there were still some things that never changed.

Deciding it would be best to discover the reason for the strange transmission and the lack of communication afterwards, Iria made her way directly to the cockpit of the ship. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary on her way there. The door opened with its expected hiss, and from where Iria stood in the doorway, she could see from behind that both pilot and co-pilot seats were occupied, the mass of black and red hair each respective women possessed sticking up over the tops of the headrests.

"Why did you want me to come over to the ship?" She proceeded forward, preferring to talk face-to-face. Upon moving next to the chairs, Iria noted that would prove to be a difficult task, considering that there was nothing but a mangled mess of blood, bone and gore where their faces had been but hours before.

Curiously, Iria's only reaction was a feeling of detached revulsion rather than the outright loss of all bodily functions, horror, and complete psychological breakdown that she would have predicted upon something like this happening.

Almost casually, Iria backed away from the lifeless bodies. A sound from behind caught her attention, and she turned in its direction.

He emerged from the shadows that gathered towards the rear of the bridge. The shadows seemed to move away from the figure as much as he moved from it. The inky blackness retreated first from his feet, then worked its way up over his white and black outfit until his face stood revealed at last.

"Gren, what happened?" Iria asked, not as comforted by her brother's presence as she thought she should have been.

Gren shrugged, his fingers brushing back one of his bounty hunter braids: a trademark habit of his. "They seem to have died when I ripped their faces off."

And with that declaration, his face shifted, warping and inverting until it became an albino, red-eyed, pupiless horror with needle sharp fangs and a cry of hunger that came from the empty void where there should have been a soul. Iria remained where she was, motionless, as the face emerged from the rest of the brim of the head on a long band of red muscle and sinew. It drew close enough to exhale a breath across her face, the fetid exhalation not affecting Iria in the least as she watched entranced.

The jaws opened impossibly wide, easily large enough to clamp themselves over Iria's head as its moist tongue danced softly across her face, trailing a thin line of saliva a moment before the face moved forward, the maw encompassing Iria's entire head before starting to close. The dagger-like teeth touched against her chin and forehead at the same time, pressing against the skin with enough pressure to break it and...

...Iria woke up screaming as she twisted away from the horror, falling out of her pilot's chair only to bounce her head off the cold metal of the cockpit floor.

"Iria! Wake up!"

Stunned, Iria instinctively fought to regain a vertical position and defend herself from the remnants of her dream assailant. It took a moment to shake clear the last vestiges of the nightmare before remembering where she was: on the bridge of the Creeper V enroute to Asteroid K12.

She pressed a surprisingly cold hand to her forehead to try to relieve the throbbing force that threatened to split her skull wide open from the inside. "What happened?"

"You drifted off to sleep," Bob's disembodied voice informed her.

Iria looked around the bridge curiously, trying to make sense of what had just happened to her and what impact it would have. "I shouldn't have done that. We only have two hours until we get to K12. I had to get ready. You should have awakened me the instant you saw I was asleep."

"You've been awake for close to seventy two hours straight and were in a major firefight. You needed the rest." There was disapproval in Bob's synthesized voice.

"I need to get ready to confront Zeiram!" Iria shot back.

Bob remained silent, refusing to engage in a verbal debate with his partner. Once it became obvious he had nothing further to say, Iria ended things with a snort of disgust. Seeing they still had approximately forty minutes before arriving at their destination, she began pulling off her armor and went to grab a quick shower before making final preparations for the fight with Zeiram.

Somewhere in the electronic vastness of the ship's primary computer, Bob released what for him now passed as a sigh. That little confrontation had been mostly his fault. He had been concerned about Iria going into battle against Zeiram with as little sleep as she had. Though the bounty hunter herself would never admit it, she stopped operating at peak efficiency after forty-eight hours straight, and there was a sharp drop off in her abilities for every hour after that. The whole Zeiram issue had her so agitated she hadn't come close to getting any rest. So when they had returned to the Creeper V and set their course for K12, Bob suggested to Iria that she catch what sleep she could. When she refused, he decided to take matters into his own 'hands' by slowly cutting the percentage of oxygen in the room until Iria, for all practical purposes, passed out. Once satisfied she was asleep, he restored the air to its normal ratio and planned to awaken Iria a half hour before their arrival.

It was much to his distress that she had awakened on her own, obviously from the throes of a vicious nightmare. And now she was getting snappy towards him, her little bit of rest not seeming to have helped her at all. Bob just hoped she'd be back up to fighting form once they arrived at the asteroid. There was no telling what they'd meet once they arrived.

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"There it is," Yuri said, gazing out the cockpit of the Lovely Angel.

"That sure doesn't look good," Kei murmured.

Iria, who had boarded their vessel after re-outfitting herself, said nothing as she joined the troubleshooters in staring at the scene before them.

The mining outpost on Asteroid K12 had been one of the more economical versions of such an operation, as was so often the case when the minerals that were being mined were useful, but not particularly valuable. The small base was almost completely subterranean, buried within the largest asteroid that would afford them the most protection from the occasional collisions that they suffered from the other asteroids within the belt they were mining.

The only obvious point of entry to the operation was the ship's docking bay. It was nestled within a depression of the three kilometer diameter piece of rock where the workers' mining ships, as well as supply vessels, would emerge and land as they brought in their cargoes. A forcefield and emergency titanium door effectively protected the bay from the possible collisions with some of the smaller asteroids and the decompression that would follow.

But now the docking bay hung wide open, the shape of the depression making the scene vaguely resemble a giant maw carved out of the brown-colored stone face of the asteroid. A steady stream of objects slowly drifted from the opening as though the giant rock had grown tired of its occupants and was disgorging them and their belongings, casting them off in the void. Machine parts, equipment, and even a handful of bodies were spread out amongst the debris.

Kei focused her attention on the bay. "I don't see any lights in there. It's pitch black."

"I think the power's completely down. I'm not getting even a distress beacon from the place," Yuri noted.

"Think Zeiram was here?" Kei asked.

"It's definitely his sort of handiwork," Iria confirmed. "We're going to have to go out and take an up close and personal look."

That gave Yuri a reason to sigh. Though she was excellent at it, going extravehicular was not one of her favorite pastimes.

Kei picked up on her partner's expression, and why she was making a face. "Hey, Yuri, why don't you let me and Iria handle going outside and you watch our backs from here?"

Yuri had to admit, her distaste not withstanding, that Kei's idea was sound. They still didn't know everything that was involved in the case, and having backup in the form of the major firepower the Lovely Angel packed was a good idea. Besides, the base itself was very small, housing no more than sixty personnel in very cramped quarters. It would take very little time to do a complete search of the facility. "You sure you two can handle it?"

"No problem." Kei assured her with a wink. She turned to Iria. "I'm not going to be able to use my Smart Gun. With the kick it has, I fire it for even five seconds and I'll go flying into deep space, jet pack or not. Think I can borrow that particle beam cartridge rifle I saw hanging in your armory?"

"Be my guest," Iria said, feeling in a better mood thanks to her shower and getting a chance to be around Kei. Despite the serious nature of the mission, the bounty hunter had always wanted a chance to see what the two of them could do together as a team.

"I'll suit up too when... I mean if you need me to go outside and help you out." Yuri shot a mischievous smile at Kei, who scowled at the deliberate implication that she would need her partner to bail her out of a jam.

Twenty minutes later, two figures emerged from the Creeper V's small airlock. They were dressed in medium-sized spacesuits, the kind that afforded decent protection while allowing a maximum range of motion. The pair proceeded to use the directional thrusters attached to the suits' backs to maneuver towards the open bay.

Avoiding the floating debris was easy with the years of spacewalking experience the duo had. Both held their rifles at the ready, halfway expecting Zeiram to suddenly be expelled from the maw and charge at them, guns blazing away.

But nothing happened (much to their disappointment) as they drew closer to the docking bay and eventually made their way to the opening itself. As both had anticipated, the interior was nearly jet black, no lights within and only the distant stars providing any source of illumination for the large chamber.

The lights on their suits were effective, but small, and were mostly used for close range work. That didn't sit well with Kei, not when there was an alternative. "We could use some light in here, Yuri," Kei said over the communicator built into her helmet.

Positioning the Lovely Angel as near as was safe, Yuri activated the exterior lights of the ship to illuminate the interior as best she could. Kei noted that beyond the bay itself she and Iria's own spacesuit lights were going to have to be used anyway, but for the moment, the current lighting would suffice.

Kei examined Iria's face through the huge, almost marble-shaped, clear helmets that protected their heads. It was true that the clear plastics were not as durable as the stronger helmets that were made of metal alloys, but the tiny faceplates on those limited vision so greatly that Kei considered it worth the additional 'risk' of a more fragile clear shield. Besides, the metal helmets still weren't powerful enough to stop a laser round, making the first shot in a fight the most critical. Under those conditions, a wide range of view far outweighed potential protection.

Kei, who was somewhat surprised at still being able to read Iria's emotions so easily despite their years apart, picked up on the subtle signs of agitation that the bounty hunter had displayed since boarding the Lovely Angel right before they dropped out of hyperspace. "Something wrong?"

Iria shook her head. "It's nothing."

Kei noted the "It's nothing" as being of the "It's something all right but I don't feel like telling you right now so shove off," variety. Kei would respect her mentor's wishes, both on general principle and the fact that now was definitely not the time to try to get someone to open up. But if things didn't change soon afterwards, they'd have a little discussion. Iria might have been all but a mother for her, but Kei was now a woman in her own right and not a mere child. Their footing, while perhaps not exactly equal, was close enough that they could have a discussion like two adults should the need arise.

Kei smiled at the 'adults' reference. "Yuri would have something asinine to say about that."

"What was that?" Iria asked, having only heard something about Yuri over their link.

"Nothing," Kei quickly replied as she returned her full concentration to examining the bay again. There was one bad thing about Iria's return: it was serving as a major distraction. Not a bad one, just inappropriate given the circumstances.

Aside from garbage floating in the zero gravity of the hanger, there was no visible movement. From the composition of the various items that composed the debris, Kei figured that whatever happened hadn't given the occupants enough time to react. Many of the objects were very valuable and easy to secure, even in a crisis situation.

"This really doesn't look good," Kei admitted out loud, moving past the body of a dead dog, one that appeared to have been blown up from the inside.

"Maybe there's something further in the station." Iria moved ahead to one of the mechanical doors that linked the bay to the interior of the facility. The door was sealed and of the type that could withstand the rigors of space. She briefly considered moving to one that was already open, but felt oddly drawn to the entrance in front of her. Before Kei could react, Iria went to the manual release for the door, pulled open the safety cover, and placed her hand on override handle.

"Wait, Iria! There might be atmosphere on the other side," Kei protested as she began to glide over.

Iria either did not hear or did not care as she pulled back on the handle, the restraining bolts that locked the door into place exploding inaudibly in the vacuums and releasing the seal all at once. The door flew open, a slight bit of atmosphere escaping in the first few seconds, then nothing. That indicated the amount of air that had been remained in that part of the facility had been next to nothing, and was certainly not enough for a person to survive on.

Not waiting for Kei, Iria immediately moved into the doorway and started to float inside the corridor. It took only a moment for her to realize it was pitch black inside, so she switched on her spacesuit's external lights.

The lights flashed on immediately to reveal the face of a person not more than three feet away, floating towards Iria. His eyes were wide open, and he was without a spacesuit, a look of intensity on his handsome features.

The cry of "GREN!" was ripped out of Iria's throat as she recoiled in horror at the apparition before her. She reflexively hit the maximum reverse power switch on her suit's directional thrusters to escape from the figure. They ignited, the force making the bounty hunter recoil as quickly as if she had been hit by a truck and was hurled backward. The uncontrolled flight took her right into Kei's path, who was caught completely unaware by Iria's unexpected reaction. The bounty hunter struck Kei head on and hard. Both were driven back into the bulkhead of the docking bay.

Years of training overrode Iria's panic. She regained control of her suit and cut the power, which also had the effect of not continuing to mash Kei into the metal of the wall. Spinning in the zero gravity, she reoriented herself, then looked again in the direction she had seen Gren.

Once the initial shock passed, Iria had a chance to calm down and properly assess the situation. Part of her mind clamped down on her fear and forced her to think things through. The idea that Gren had been floating before her was impossible; he had been dead for decades and his body consumed. And even if there was some part of him that was still alive, it would have continued to be a part of Zeiram, not separated as a normal human being, or even one cut in half.

Taking a closer and more analytical look at the figure that had been shot forward by the decompression, and subsequently into the better lighting cast by the Lovely Angel, Iria noted that the upper torso positively did not belong to Gren. It was much more slender and the face was wrong, only bearing a slight resemblance to her long dead brother. Only the nightmare that had put her on edge, combined with the lack of sleep, had made her panic like a rookie on her first mission.

Kei was hardly idle either as she regained her breath and came up with a rifle in hand. Seeing which direction Iria had come from, she gasped out, "What is it? What happened? Did you see Zeiram?"

A gamut of emotions played across Iria's features in the span of a heartbeat. Kei only caught the briefest glimpse of them before the bounty hunter turned away and sped off in the direction of the ship almost as fast as when she had jetted away from the corpse.

Before Kei could ask Iria what was troubling her, the older woman announced in non-debatable tones, "This place is a tomb. We're out of here."

Kei was left blustering alone, more confused than ever as she followed Iria back to the ship more out of habit than conscious thought.

On the bridge, Yuri also was bewildered by what had just happened. She was tempted to race to the airlock in order to beat them back and perhaps restart the search, but she opted to stay on the bridge and wait for the pair, or more specifically Iria, to return. Yuri's wait was not long as Iria returned to the bridge in under five minutes, not even taking the time out to remove her spacesuit.

Iria only started to peel herself out of her spacesuit once she began giving Yuri orders. "Send a distress signal to Delabar. Tell them there's been an incident. That'll bring the authorities here to take care of the mess. And make sure you send it anonymously. It wouldn't do to have us stuck here answering questions about what we know of what's been going on."

"But we haven't searched the base thoroughly enough," Yuri protested as she saw Kei finally make her own way up to the bridge still dressed in a spacesuit as well.

Iria stared out the front spaceport as she said, "Zeiram's not here. He would have attacked us by now if he was. We're too late again."

"Then we should be searching for clues to his next location," Yuri protested.

"We should be finding him before he hits another outpost and massacres all of the inhabitants there like he did here!"

"How are we supposed to find him if we don't have any clues as to where he'll strike next?" Yuri's own voice rose in conjunction with Iria's own increasingly argumentative tone.

"Listen to me. There are no clues to find. It's going to be like the last place. We have to either figure out a pattern from his strikes to get to his next objective before him, or get him while he's in the process of attacking somewhere else." Iria's tone was one a person would use when talking to the village idiot, and Yuri appreciated the action as most people would.

"We don't know there aren't any clues here unless we look for some. And for your information, we did find some at the last place he hit!" Yuri moved closer to Iria, fists balled. Iria responded in kind.

"Everyone, back off!" Kei forced herself between partner and mentor before the inevitable fight broke out.

She turned to Iria first. "I realize something down there got you spooked. Bob told me on the way back you've been operating without any rest for a while, so you're tired as well as stressed out, which is perfectly normal with what we've been through. We're your friends, and the last thing in the universe we need right now is to bicker with one another while Zeiram's still out there. We can do it after we've taken care of him, though personally I'd rather have a drink to celebrate."

Now it was Yuri's turn. Kei looked to her and said, "I think Iria's right. This place is a whole lot smaller than the space station, and it'd be a lot easier for Zeiram to cover his tracks. After the lengths someone went to to clean up that mess at the space station, I doubt if they'd leave a map that's marked 'here's where Zeiram's going strike next and good luck getting him' lying around. And I'll let you know I think this whole situation has the feel that it happened a while ago. Why don't we head to the nearest outpost and see if Iria's strategy is on the mark and we can figure out where he'll strike next and head him off before he gets to his next target? If we stick around here too long we might not get there in time."

"And if he isn't there? What if that's what proves to be a waste of time and there is a clue in this debris?" Yuri asked, unwilling to completely back down, though much to her surprise Kei's words were having a cooling effect on her own now hot temper; a complete role reversal between the two.

"Do you think the odds are better that we'll catch up to him, or that we'll actually find a clue in that mess"? Kei asked.

After considering the question for a moment, Yuri reluctantly nodded. When her partner put it that way it did make sense, amazingly enough. Sometimes matters of life and death came down to playing the odds, proving that life really was nothing more than an elaborate high-stakes crapshoot. "Fine. Let's do it."

Despite agreeing with the plan, Yuri silently vowed the matter wasn't over. So far, Iria had gotten her way every time something came up, even when Yuri disagreed with her and they ended up with nothing to show for it. The troubleshooter would play along for a while longer, but if things didn't turn around soon, she'd start calling the shots. No matter what Iria's feelings on the matter were. Yuri was a veteran troubleshooter with years of experience, after all. She had just as much a right to run things as the older woman did.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Iria was in the linking tube and had almost made it back to her ship when she heard Kei call out her name. For a moment, she considered continuing anyway, but then her shoulders slumped slightly and she waited for Kei to draw near.

"What's going on?" the redhead asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Zeiram's running loose killing everything in his path and you ask me what's wrong?!" Iria snapped.

"I meant what went down outside," Kei clarified, though she had a feeling that Iria knew exactly what she had meant and was only playing dumb.

"I was surprised, that was all." The reply was curt. Too curt.

Kei decided that was enough. "Why did you call out Gren's name?"

"I didn't. You misheard me."

Kei scowled now. She knew damn well what she had heard. "I don't think so."

"Then you need to think again." Iria terminated the conversation by turning away and moving more quickly than before to her ship.

For a moment, Kei contemplated pursuing, then reconsidered. Iria was too much like her and hated being confronted. A showdown now, especially when it was obvious Iria was emotionally and physically exhausted, would get nothing accomplished. Instead, more subtle tactics were needed to get the bounty hunter to open up. A smile blossomed on Kei's face as she knew exactly what to do. Past experience let her know it was perfect. She'd have Iria eating out of her hand before the next few days were out, then everything could go back to normal. Or whatever passed for normal concerning the three of them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Ship dropped out of hyperspace less than five minutes after the Creeper V and Lovely Angel had departed the system by entering it. The Ship was jet black, an obsidian shade projected against the eternal night of deep space. The surface absorbed even the faint starlight that traveled the distance to the asteroid belt.

The Ship was large, almost half again the size of the Lovely Angel, but it flowed through the eternal silence like a breeze flowing through the air. The Ship's shape was similar to an oblong discus, but with a number or projections along its surface and a pointed shape that marked that part as the front.

The Ship maneuvered through the asteroid field with a grace that belayed its form, stopping at last before a rock that had no purpose to its existence other than to float through the void of space. It had no name of its own, but other things had designated it as K12.

The Ship floated there for several moments as waves of various energy bombarded the holed out section of the floating rock. The energies did nothing to the rock itself, other than to react to its existence and send those reactions to the ship.

After observing those specific reactions, a series of cylinders emerged from one of the surface projections and fanned out, forming a pattern that was vaguely reminiscent of a flight of migratory birds traveling to milder climes. Upon entering the open docking bay, they separated, each taking its own course as they traveled to every corner of the small outpost, sending back the results of their own observations, even as the various energies had done earlier. The results were the same, and the cylinders returned to the docking bay and reformed their ranks, returning to The Ship and entering the same way they had exited. The Ship then began to reverse its course, leaving in precisely the same manner as it had entered, save that it was now moving in reverse.

After gaining some distance from the asteroid, two cylinders that were shaped differently and were much larger than the others, emerged from two of the projections that pointed outward from the front of The Ship. Once clear of their carrier, fires emerged from the rears of the cylinders, spurring them onward and into the docking bay of the outpost.

A moment later, the missiles detonated, temporarily lighting the void with a flash of brightness that tapered off to dull flames until eventually even those went on to become nothing as the atomic fires that caused the explosions were consumed and space reclaimed its once shattered peace.

Where before there had been the ruined remains of an outpost, there was now only a huge gaping hole of blackened jagged mineral that dotted the surface of the asteroid. The Ship observed its handiwork, reacting to it only by spinning on its axis and leaving the asteroid field more quickly than it had entered. It eventually headed into hyperspace once it was able to do so safely and without the obstruction caused by other asteroids in the field.

And the piece of rock, which others had given a name that meant nothing to it, continued to float without purpose as it had before, drifting forever in the silent night.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yuri looked over the dinner settings before her, Iria, and Muhgi in the mess area of the Lovely Angel. She felt uneasy. That really wasn't surprising, considering the circumstances that brought the three of them together.

After fifteen years of partnership, one would have thought there could be no more surprises between the two women. Blood, sweat, joy, and even tears had been shared between them. Closer than family in many ways, continuously leaving one's life in the other's hands, the two were separate parts that made a greater whole when combined. By now there should have been no new barriers to break, no unknown boundaries to cross, but as was happening all too often of late, what was believed and what actually was were two different things.

For instance, the root of this particular 'surprise' was Kei making dinner for Yuri.

In truth it was being made for everyone, but in all of their years together, not once had Kei sat down and made a meal for both of them. Certainly, they had shared meals on stakeouts, usually burnt MREs or something else equally unappetizing. Once they had even shared a raw Fruntlumper Kei had shot when they were stranded on Balktus 4, devouring the creature, which tasted amazingly like century old shoe leather left in a sulfur spring, as though it were a steak of the rarest cut, but never had they sat down to a home cooked meal by Kei.

Yuri was suddenly overcome with a feeling that raw Fruntlumper might be a better choice than whatever concoction Kei had prepared.

It wasn't as though Yuri had a lack of faith in her partner's culinary abilities... actually, that was precisely it. Yuri knew damn well Kei rarely made food for herself, usually opting to eat out or buy instant varieties of food that needed all of twenty seconds of microwave radiation to prepare. There had to be a reason for that, and Yuri's detective skills informed her that it probably wasn't a good one. That the redheaded troubleshooter would suddenly feel some need to prepare a formal meal for everyone was cause for alarm. No, for borderline panic.

If only they would receive an alarm that Zeiram was attacking a colony somewhere. That would definitely save the day. But there was no angry cry of emergency klaxons, at least, not yet.

Looking across the table and seeing Iria appear as completely mystified as her, Yuri felt herself become more uneasy. Perhaps this was Kei's way of bringing them closer together. True, there had been some tension between Yuri and Iria in the last couple of days since the visit to K12. Yuri had even caught Kei moping around a bit at the perceived friction. But there wasn't much to do. Iria didn't seem interested in clearing the air, and without at least a little show of encouragement, Yuri did not feel a need to make the effort either. It wasn't the sort of tension that would lead to a fight, but it could conceivably affect them in the middle of tight situation. On an intellectual level, Yuri knew she should try something to ease the tension, but she just couldn't seem to motivate herself to make the first gesture. So perhaps Kei had decided to do it.

Kei the Peacemaker: an oxymoron if ever there was one.

The redheaded troubleshooter was certainly up to something. Yuri noted that Kei had made them stop by a remote world for a couple of hours and went down to the surface in a shuttle on a private errand. Having no leads on Zeiram, there was no reason not to do it. After Kei had returned, Yuri noticed that among the items she had picked up there was some kind of squiggly pet that reminded the raven-haired troubleshooter of the 'Many Limbed Tentacle Monsters of Phallus Five'. Now there had been an 'adventure' to be certain. Yuri hadn't been able to sit down for a week after encountering one of the more 'mighty' members of that particular species...

"Oh dear god, tell me she didn't buy it for that," Yuri murmured.

"What was that?" Iria asked.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Ha, ha," Yuri blurted out with forced laughter. She knew Kei had been feeling lonely, but surely she wasn't THAT lonely.

The answer to her unspoken question was delivered as Kei emerged from the kitchen. She was decked out in a chef's hat with a white apron. Plastered across the apron in black lettering were the words, 'Mess with the chef and die like the rest'. In her hands she bore a covered hot dish that was still steaming. A faint scent that would be more correctly classified as an odor drifted from it towards the others.

"Oh no. She wouldn't," Iria whispered under her breath in the same manner as Yuri had done earlier.

"What was that?" Yuri asked, the dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach tripling.

"Nothing," Iria blurted out in the exact same manner as Yuri had before.

"I'm not hungry and I'm trying to lose weight since my gut is getting so big so I'd better not eat bye-bye." The words emerged from Yuri's mouth with machine-gun-like speed, but she moved nowhere near as quickly. Even as she rose out of her chair to leave, Kei lashed out with a foot and kicked the chair back under Yuri, the edge hitting her in the back of the legs and forcing her to sit her butt back down on the seat.

The dangerous glare Kei shot her partner let it be known that further attempts to escape would be dealt with even more harshly. Yuri considered leaving anyway, but then decided to give Kei the benefit of the doubt. Besides, they had a full complement of stomach medicines that could take care of any indigestion problems brought on by whatever concoction Kei had prepared for them.

Seeing what had happened, and having some definite suspicions as to what was lying underneath the silver lid, Iria considered making a run for it too. But then she remembered how enthusiastic Kei was about cooking. And more importantly, that Kei was a better shot than her, as well as being damn quick on the draw.

Yuri did not feel any more reassured when she saw Iria's shoulders slump forward in an outward sign of obvious defeat.

Muhgi, resigned to the inevitable, just pinched his nose shut.

Seemingly unaware, or at least unconcerned, with the reactions of the dinner guests, Kei placed the covered dish in the center of the table. She stood up straight, appearing very formal despite her garb, cleared her throat, then began speaking. "As a gesture of goodwill in our new partnership, and in the hopes of running into Zeiram and punching his ticket real soon, I have decided to celebrate our future success by preparing for everyone a culinary masterpiece of delectable delight. Iria knows firsthand what I'm talking about, as I used to make it for her all the time."

"Oh, Kei. You shouldn't have," Iria said, sounding on the verge of tears. "You really, really shouldn't have."

"Times like this I'm glad I don't have a stomach anymore," Bob said from the unit on her wrist.

Yuri heard the exchange and cringed. This was going to be bad.

Kei continued on, helplessly lost in the depths of her previously thought out 'Tension Breaking Speech'. "I confess, I haven't made this since I left home and set out to carve myself a place in the universe. But once I got started, I knew I hadn't lost my touch. Don't be surprised to see this pop up again in the near future."

And without any further pomp and circumstance, Kei lifted the lid and allowed the others to bask in the sight of the culinary masterpiece before them.

It rested in a bed of deep green lettuce, surrounded by a variety of longer, stringy steamed vegetables that touched upon every color of the spectrum. Several turnip shaped spheres surrounded the main dish in the center, obviously intricately cut and made to be ascetically pleasing as well as functional. A creamy white liquid with tiny fuchsia colored berries rested in a small bowl along the edge, obviously meant to be used as a sauce for the dish.

And in the center was the main course: a multi-tentacled octopus-like creature. It bore at least a dozen eyes, surrounding the body, that looked in all directions at once. There was also a set of huge, misshapen tongues that emerged from two mouths located on different parts of the lump in the middle. Pustules dotted along irregular intervals along its length, and everywhere a series of sickly-looking veins covered the entire body of the puss green-colored, lifelike creature. For a moment Yuri thought she could see them throb as though the creature was still alive.

"I knew it: boiled Klatuu Beast." Iria grimaced.

"What's a Klatuu Beast?" Yuri nearly whimpered as the full scent of it hit her, causing her to recoil.

Kei was delighted to answer as she cooed over her triumph. "A rare dish created by an alien race called the Zyngmotoivich. It's a delicacy of theirs."

That didn't bode well. It was Yuri's understanding that the Zyngmotoivich possessed one of the dullest senses of taste in the universe and their digestive system was tough enough to consume any form of organic matter without a problem.

Kei continued. "It's said it takes most master chefs a decade to perfect creating it. I learned it when I was a kid growing up with Iria. One of Iria's Zyngmotoivich friends, a bounty hunter named Archibald Tinkle, taught it to me. He was astounded at how quickly I learned to make it. He said I was a natural." Kei's eyes took on a glow as she recalled the past through the eyes of a nine year old. "I remember the first time I made it for Iria. It was the first time I ever tried cooking anything major, and I was really afraid I'd screw it up. I was almost in tears when I served her it. You don't know how relieved I was when she told me she absolutely loved it. She had two full servings, and we had the rest for dinner the next night."

Iria remembered it well, through the eyes of a much more realistic twenty-three year old. At the time, she forced herself to stomach it and lied about how it tasted so Kei, who had obviously poured her heart and soul into preparing the dish for her, feelngs would not be hurt. It turned into one of the worst mistakes of Iria's life as Kei would then insist on making it during any special occasion the two of them shared. It was one of the handful of things Iria had not missed when her young ward left home for good.

"Archibald hated me, by the way," Iria added casually as the true horror of Klatuu Beast assailed her senses for the first time in nearly two decades.

Yuri wrinkled her nose in disgust. "It smells like decomposing flesh."

"It's supposed to smell that way," Kei assured her.

"Bullshit. You screwed it up," Yuri said acidly.

"Oh no, she prepared it perfectly," Iria assured her. It was just that properly boiled Klatuu Beast normally smelled (and tasted) like shit; two facts that had apparently been lost on Kei.

The redhead cut off several portions and served them to the others. Iria, somewhat used to it, simply sighed and resigned herself to a night of suffering for when the Klatuu Beast would begin to dance in her stomach and her body began the inevitable war that occurred when trying to digest it.

Yuri wasn't able to deal with her fate quite as optimistically and gave a moan full of despair. Since Kei was looking at her expectedly, hope filled on her features, Yuri sucked up her courage and poked at a long, revolting tentacle with a fork.

The limb moved.

"It's still alive!" Yuri blurted out in panic, backing her chair away from the table and going for her sidearm.

Kei pushed her back to the table. "It's just a reflex. Klatuu Beasts have funky nervous systems. Sometimes they twitch even after they've been chewed up, so if it feels like something is trying to climb out of your throat after you've eaten it, don't worry. That's perfectly normal."

Yuri felt like hitting her head on the table. Kei couldn't make her eat if she was unconscious.

Muhgi took one look at the thing on his plate, then viciously attacked it. He knocked the serving of Klatuu Beast off the table with a swipe of his claws, then jumped to the floor and began batting it around as though it were a giant rodent. That it almost appeared as though the beast was fighting back as its tentacles waved in the air with each swipe of Muhgi's paws only added to the effect.

"Damn it, Muhgi! Quit playing with your food!" Kei rose angrily and put the food back on the plate, forcing a reluctant Muhgi to sit down once again at the dinner table.

Satisfied everyone had finally relaxed themselves enough to sit down and eat, Kei dug in heartily, cutting a large piece for her serving and eating it down with the gusto that was normally reserved for when she hadn't eaten in several days.

Yuri, now quite beyond frightened and settling into something akin to battlefield shellshock, looked in twisted fascination as Kei sucked down a huge portion of tentacle, the ropy appendage waving back in forth in the air as though it were trying to get out of Kei's mouth before it was too late.

In a deeper state of shock, Yuri looked across the table at Iria, no longer irritated in the least by the bounty hunter's previous behavior. It appeared that Kei's attempt at them resolving their issues peacefully had worked, though not in the way the redhead had expected. What truly drew Iria and Yuri closer together was not that they were breaking bread, but that they were being forced to suffer through a mutual horrible experience together.

But at least it got the job done.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two servings (and one upset stomach that felt like it had been thrown into the middle of a solar storm) later, Iria excused herself from the dinner table and headed back to the safety of her ship. A variety of stomach remedies awaited her there. She had forgotten just how unsettling even a half-serving of Klatuu beast could be, and she had been forced to consume two.

Iria noted that it was odd how even when she had visited the homeworld of the Zyngmotoivich, she had not seen this so-called 'delicacy' being eaten by any of the inhabitants. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't recall seeing it offered on any of the menus in their restaurants either. It made one wonder if perhaps it was all a big joke the Zyngmotoivich played on other alien races in order to get them to consume a thoroughly disgusting food that they themselves would not really touch, using the term 'planetary delicacy' to trick them into eating it.

She had almost made it to her ship when Kei's voice called out behind her. Iria swore if Kei tried sticking her with a doggie-bag of that toxic substance, she'd put a round between the redhead's eyes, near daughter or not.

Kei paused before Iria, "So how was the meal?"

This was it. Iria's big chance to tell Kei what she really thought of boiled Klatuu beast. It might break her ward's heart, but with the massive discomfort Iria's stomach felt, her resolve would never be more firm.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "It was just like you always made it." The words that emerged from Iria's own mouth made her shudder. The loud grumbling of her stomach punctuated the sentiment.

"Great," Kei said, glowing at the perceived compliment. Her emotions quickly switched from happy to serious. "There was another reason I wanted to talk to you. It's about what happened the other day, on the outpost."

Given the tumultuous state of her stomach, pride gave way to the necessity of talking and getting the stomach remedies. "What did you want to know?"

"What was wrong? Why were you so afraid?"

The anxiety Iria had felt before about revealing her feelings had faded with the passage of time. Now there was almost a need to tell someone besides Bob about her fears. "I'd been having dreams about Gren."

"Oh?"

"About him being trapped in Zeiram," Iria clarified.

"Oh," Kei said, this time understanding. "But Gren's dead. He died with Zeiram. You said that yourself."

"I know, I know," Iria reluctantly admitted. "The last of him died with Zeiram out there in the desert. And I know logically there's no way that even if this is the original Zeiram, Gren would still be in there. By now his consciousness would have been consumed. But still, there's that fear. A small part of me wonders 'what if,' even though I know it's unreasonable and sure to slow me down or hesitate like back on Daowajon, when Gren overrode Zeiram enough to give me a chance to kill him. What if that same thing happens again, now?"

Kei placed a comforting hand on Iria's shoulder. "You're worrying about nothing. Like you said, Gren's not in there. And even if he was, it would have to be like last time. He'd want you to put him to rest rather than living that hellish existence in that killing machine. You managed to force yourself to kill him in the end."

"And I'd do it again." This time Iria spoke with more confidence. Hearing someone else tell her, without being prompted, what she already knew in her heart helped clear her conscience.

"Besides, it's a moot point. I'm going to bag Zeiram this time." Kei swaggered

"Hah! You'll have to shoot through me first," Iria retorted.

"Let's make a deal," Kei said. "Whoever bags Zeiram first has the loser make them dinner."

"Buy them dinner!" Iria corrected. Having the threat of Kei making another Klatuu Beast was enough to make Iria want to throw the fight.

The two shook on it. As Kei went back to her ship, Iria looked on in an almost parental satisfaction. Truly her ward had grown into a fine, somewhat violent, woman. Somehow she had gotten the normally reserved Iria to open up and confess her feelings, though either Kei had learned how to be subtle or had just gotten lucky in figuring out how to do it. In either case, it had worked out perfectly. There was no doubt within Iria that she would do what she had to without hesitation, or more importantly, without fear of hesitating and costing someone besides herself their life. Iria felt a lot better than she had in a while.

Her stomach shifted in her abdomen. Emotionally better, anyway. It was time to get the stomach medicine and fast.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yuri finished typing out the last page of her report. For two days since the dinner they had still heard nothing and found no clues concerning Zeiram. They were overdue back at 3WA headquarters and had already been sent a request as to their present location. If they didn't report back in the next couple of days, they were going to be in trouble, unless they informed headquarters that they had run into an emergency and couldn't check in. Of course, the problem with that would be why they hadn't sent a report on the Zeiram incident already. Holding back information about a rampaging monster would be certain to raise a few of the bushy eyebrows of her superiors, and any time that happened it was a 'bad thing'. Mentioning that they were afraid communications with headquarters was compromised would only work for so long before even that would no longer be useable as an excuse, especially since they had no proof of the compromise to date.

So Yuri had begun writing a detailed report on the entire matter, making sure that Kei knew nothing about it. Had her partner discovered that she was planning to send in a report, Kei would erase the document and start an argument about the value of proper procedure versus improvising in the field, a discussion the two had vehemently carried on over the years.

Yuri had dragged her feet as long as she could, but now the report was complete. All that remained was to send it to headquarters and let her superiors decide their next course of action. It would be out of their hands, and it was quite conceivable they would be pulled off the case entirely. That was another reason the raven-haired troubleshooter was reluctant to send the report. Given how resolutely Kei felt about dealing with Zeiram personally, Yuri would not put it past her to turn in her badge if it meant tracking down the monster with Iria. And Yuri knew damn well she'd end up tagging along; the two had been together too long for there to be any other option. Even though Yuri didn't feel the least bit like becoming a bounty hunter.

Her finger hung poised above the send button in indecision when a flashing light from the communications panel caught her attention. Immediately she hit the audio button to listen to the message.

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"Iria, incoming call from Yuri."

Bob's gentle voice pried Iria out of her deep sleep instantly; a sleep without dreams of Gren for the first time in days. In an instant, she shot to her feet and went over to her own communications equipment abroad the Creeper V. Blinking the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes, Iria opened up communication. "Yes?"

"We've got something." Yuri's voice sounded excited. "I just got an APB over the law enforcement waveband in this sector. Apparently a small communications outpost on a moon in Sector A45 was destroyed. Authorities are already on the scene covering the aftermath, but from what the report says, there is no chance of survivors and the destruction appears total."

"Crap!" Iria slammed her fist into the control panel. That had to be Zeiram's handiwork. "He's still one step ahead of us. And if the authorities are already there, that means we can't investigate either without tipping our hand."

Bob interrupted the tirade. "Let me look over the information about the post. Maybe there's something there."

Iria just threw her hands up in disgust. Maybe it was time to break out a couple of bottles of alcohol and split them with Kei. With the way their luck was going, they could drink all the liquor on both ships, recover from their hangovers, and still Zeiram would still have eluded their grasp.

Iria had just fished a bottle of Brandy from under the mess in the bottom of a storage locker when Bob said, "I think I might have something."

"What?" Iria said, momentarily forgetting she had the bottle in hand.

"There's a report in an adjacent system about a destroyed spaceship."

"So what?" Iria asked.

"Judging by the vector of where the last suspected assault took place and where the ship's debris was discovered, they're in a direct line of probable travel."

Iria's heart began to race. "Any inhabited planets in that system?"

"No. But there is a terraforming operation on one of the moons in the middle of the system. Normal shake-and-bake future colony, according to the records."

"Plot a course and download the coordinates to 'The Lovely Angel. We go now." There was no time to send a message to the colony and wait for a response. By the time they received it, they would already be on the scene. They could do it once in the system and pray they had gotten there in time for once.

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"No response from the operation," Kei informed the others.

Iria looked quizzically at Yuri. In reply, the dark haired woman shook her head doubtfully. "They've had plenty of time to respond."

"Damn," Iria said under her breath as they drew nearer to the moon which had officially been dubbed, "Yanki's Beautiful Haven.' A typical unimaginative title some corporate executive in charge of the terraforming operation had no doubt named after himself. There were plenty of worlds like that. 'Gorney's Relaxing Spot.' 'Mica's Rich Ore Planetoid.' 'Disneysystem.' All of them stupid.

"How many?" Iria asked.

Yuri knew what the bounty hunter was inquiring about. "According to operation records, two hundred and thirty-three people."

"Shit!" Kei hissed.

That killed further conversation. Wordlessly, Kei increased the speed of the Lovely Angel. It took them only minutes to arrive at the moon's recently created upper atmosphere. From above, it still looked like a dead rock, but such terraforming operations could take upwards to a decade to create depending on the equipment, planet, and technique that was used.

The base of the operation was clear from their orbital position. The ships began their decent through the atmosphere and to the planet below. Once they were within a half mile of the sizable base, its fate was at last revealed.

The control tower used to guide ships down was a ruin. Several other buildings were in a similar state, holes all the way down to their foundations in several cases. Smoke poured from a variety of vehicles and ships that had been smashed beyond recognition, eliminating any means of escape. The devastation appeared total.

"This was recent," Iria declared as they hovered over the main landing field.

"Fires are still going near that condenser unit over there," Kei pointed out. "Those things won't burn for more than an hour, tops."

Yuri adjusted some of their sensors. "I can't get a clear lifeform reading. The main atmospheric processor is active and its regulators must be off-line. It's kicking up too much interference to get a fix on anything."

"Then we'll have to take a closer look." Kei picked up her Sharter Smart Gun and hooked it up to her belt and harness. Yuri went with the more reserved Suboronic High Intensity Laser Rife while Iria went with her ever reliable Boreset Long Rifle.

Landing went without a problem, and the trio deployed from the landing ramp cautiously as they spread out and made certain the landing area was secure.

"This place is pretty big," Iria commented as she surveyed the scene of carnage. "Let's separate like we did on the station. If you guys get even the faintest hint of Zeiram, call out on the communicator so I can come running."

"Make sure you do the same thing," Kei said.

"I have absolutely no intention of dealing with Zeiram one-on-one," the bounty hunter assured her.

"We'll check out the atmospheric processing plant." Yuri pointed to the largest standing building that seemed to have suffered less damage than the adjacent structures.

"Watch where you fire if he's in there," Iria warned. "I can see the primary shield array is toast, which means that sucker's the only thing that's maintaining the atmosphere. If it goes, it'll be a race to see if we freeze solid or suffocate without breathable air."

"Aw, come on. Have some faith in us," Kei complained.

"We are professionals," Yuri reminded her. "We know what we're doing."

"Fine." Iria refrained on commenting that many referred to the duo as being 'Professional Avatars of Destruction' with all of the damage they caused throughout the universe. But now was not the time or the place for such a 'discussion' that would change nothing when all was finished. Judging by the rampant destruction and lack of anyone present, it appeared there was no one left alive on the planet, so it was not likely there were any innocent bystanders to worry about. Just three professional warriors and one killing machine in a large gladiatorial arena that was once a terraforming operation; an almost ideal battleground.

Without further discussion the trio separated into two teams and began searching the ruins of the base.

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"Worried?" Yuri asked.

"About us? No. About Iria? Maybe a little," Kei admitted. "I'd rather find big and ugly first and take care of him ourselves."

"Think we have enough firepower?" Yuri suddenly felt uneasy with only a laser rifle and sidearm for protection. Perhaps she should have grabbed a grenade launcher on the way out.

Kei pivoted her weapon on the belt rig in Yuri's general direction. "Trust me, we have enough firepower. Just don't be in front of me when I cut loose."

"Just remember what Iria said about watching where you fire that thing. It wouldn't..." Yuri's warning drifted off as she heard a load groan come from the wall to their left. Both of the Dirty Pair turned in the direction of the sound.

"Sound like the building settling to you?" Kei kept her gun trained on the wall.

Yuri did likewise. "Somehow, I doubt it. This operation's been going for two years. I'd say all of its settling has been done for a while."

Another sound came from the wall. Kei set her feet firmly to brace for the recoil of eight rotating barrels spitting out two thousand rounds per minute. Fifteen seconds passed with no further noise, then there was a louder groan, sounding as though it were coming from nearer still.

"Hey, Yuri?" There was an edge to Kei's voice.

"What?"

"Do you remember that time we fought that metal robot killer on Alphus Base in Tarmagne?"

"The one that had the spiked treads and looked like a small tank?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"What about it?"

"Remember how he threw us off by making it sound like he was coming from behind a wall real close to us when in fact it was a trick and he popped through the opposite wall behind us and nearly punched both our tickets?"

"Shit!" Yuri hissed as she spun and pointed her rifle at the wall behind them.

Kei started to do likewise as the wall they originally had their weapons pointed towards burst open with an explosion of shattered plastic and tearing metal. Zeiram ripped its way through the wall, as though it had been made of tinfoil. The weight of Kei's bulky weapon slowed her down, and she was knocked off her feet by a piece of flying debris. A large sheet of the metal fell across her, further keeping her from rising. Yuri's luck was better as she threw herself out of the way of the collapsing wall and out of the immediately line of fire of the monster.

It took Zeiram a moment to reorient itself, the monster producing an even larger impromptu doorway as it forced its way through the shattered remains and fully into the passageway. A squat-looking rifle with a blue tip rested in its hands as it pointed the weapon to its left and searched for targets.

Seeing Zeiram start to look in the helpless Kei's direction, Yuri shouted out, "Over here!" Just as she hoped, Zeiram turned at the sound of the declaration, bringing the weapon up in her direction.

The dark-haired troubleshooter was unable to identify the type of firearm Zeiram held in its hands. She hoped it wouldn't matter as she intended to shoot the monster before it had a chance to shoot her.

Being lighter and quicker, and being able to see her target first, Yuri's plan worked as she sent several high intensity laser bolts into Zeiram's greenish hide. A low growl of what sounded like a grumble of discomfort issued forth for the creature's lower mouth, the upper one in the white head on the brim remaining silent.

Whatever pain it felt was not enough to stop the monster from bringing its own firearm up track Yuri with it. Snapping off two more rounds that hit Zeiram high, she ducked to the right as a series of small bluish bolts no larger than a couple of centimeters sped towards her. There was a fizzing sounds as the shots went just over her head, causing a hissing as they struck the wall behind Yuri and dissolved the metal, leaving a lingering smell of ozone behind.

Marking being hit by acid as considerably more damaging than by a needler, Yuri concentrated more on dodging again instead of returning fire. She evaded a second shot, and was mentally plotting out where to dodge a third blast, when it suddenly occurred to her that she had just run out of room to maneuver.

However, there was no third blast as the tremendous sound of a repeating firearm filled the corridor, deafening Yuri. Zeiram fell forward hard from the hundred or so rounds that Kei had unexpectedly fired into his back.

Yuri was about to cheer Kei on when she saw Zeiram start to rise to its feet, seemingly unaffected by the gunfire. Worse, Yuri also noted that the monstrosity was between her and Kei, and that a rapidly repeating Smart Gun with a cyclic rate of two thousand rounds a minute was not a precision weapon.

Survival being the matter at hand, Yuri did the unexpected by running directly towards Zeiram and jumping on top of its head and over the creature as it continued rising to its feet. As she had hoped, the monster reacted too late to do anything, being surprised by her maneuver. It spent an extra second trying to figure out what had just happened, which gave Yuri the necessary time to get out of Kei's line of fire.

"Do it!" Yuri shouted.

In acknowledgment, Kei planted her feet firmly in the ground again. Zeiram was just turning toward her, face front and drawing its arm back as if to throw something, when Kei depressed the trigger.

The spinning barrels were a blur as Kei fired continuously at her target. Rather than each projectile flashing from a barrel, it looked more like a continuous stream of light emitting from the huge firearm.

The incredible volume of firepower took its toll on the huge figure. Kei and Yuri watched as at first the rounds seemed to do nothing more than drive Zeiram back, the monster now prepared for the onslaught that had made it lose its footing the first time. A huge number of sparks signified where the rounds were impacting, but there was no other obvious damage. But then the sparks died down as Kei and Yuri saw pieces of Zeiram's chest begin to go flying in all directions. Then the spattering of a green substance joined the pieces as the liquid sailed through the air.

"You're doing it, Kei! You're doing it!" Yuri's shouts could not be heard over the din of battle, but Kei could somehow feel the approval her partner was generating and dug in more firmly. It took a minute for Kei's entire frame to grow weary from supporting her weapon, despite the rig it was set up on. The recoil, as absorbed as it was by the design of the huge gun, continued to be murderous and forced Kei to dig down deep for the reserves of energy needed to keep it up.

A cry of pain rose from Zeiram, one that overshadowed the noise from the Smart Gun. Kei gritted her teeth in approval as the monster was driven further back even more quickly than before.

Despite knowing she couldn't be heard over the gunfire, Kei cried out at the top of her lungs, "Die you monster! Die-"

Kei's battle cry was cut short as she nearly fell forward on her face, the Smart Gun ceasing fire. The redhead looked at the ammunition count on the digital display on the top of the gun. It read zero.

"Shit!" Kei cried out. If only she had carried an extra ammo backpack; it would have doubled the number of rounds she had.

Still snarling in anger at being denied additional firepower, Kei looked up to survey the damage she had in inflicted on her opponent. A low sound of pain issued from Zeiram, but it was still standing, despite the syrupy goo that trickled down its chest from the numerous open wounds it sported.

Again Kei shouted a curse as she hit the release button that caused her Smart Gun and rig to fall to the ground.

She started to draw her sidearm when Yuri placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "My turn." She firmly pushed Kei to the side and brought her laser rifle up. It might not have had anywhere near the damage capacity her partner's weapon had, but it still had a kick to it, and more importantly, ammunition.

Yuri lined up her sights on Zeiram's bleeding chest, waiting for it to move the arms that covered the wounds up out of the way. Injured as the beast was, she would have no better opportunity inflict some payback on it and hopefully finish it off for everyone's sake.

"Shoot him!" Kei insisted upon seeing Yuri hesitate.

"I want a clear shot," Yuri insisted, despite Zeiram protecting his vitals and Yuri knowing damn well shooting him in the arms would do little good given what happened the last time she fired upon him.

She was just about to fire anyway, in the hopes it would get Zeiram to move its arms, when they did so of their own accord. The monster held its arms up high, shouting out in what sounded like an even higher pitched cry of pain. Yuri hesitated a moment at the unexpected action, the waited another moment as she saw a ripple start at the center of Zeiram's chest and move outward.

"What's happening?" Yuri asked her partner, who had far more dealings with Zeiram than her.

"Haven't the faintest idea," Kei replied.

The answer took the form of a brief spray of blood erupting from Zeiram's chest followed by what appeared to the duo to be a huge chunk of rounded metal forcing its way from inside its body. Then the round piece of metal began glowing with a white luminescence, and the answer the became clear.

"Kei, tell me that's not a plasma ejector barrel pointing out of his chest."

"It's not."

"Thank goodness," Yuri moaned.

"It's a duon particle beam cannon. It's got about five times the kick of a plasma ejector."

The two looked at each other, then came to an unspoken, immediate, and mutual decision.

"Strategic withdrawal!" They cried as one as they ran for it.

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Iria was examining the remains of what might have been a person when she heard the sound of a particle beam cannon come from the atmospheric processing plant. She looked up just in time to see half the side of the base of the building explode in a fury of metal and plastic. Reflexively she covered her face with her arm as the force wave of the explosion passed by, carrying with it the smell of fuel and burned metal.

Iria lowered her arms and looked at the scene before her in eye-widening horror. Reacting quickly, she ran as quickly as she could to cover the two hundred meter distance between her and the building. She had barely made it a quarter of the way when she saw two figures emerge from the dusty debris filled cloud that had been kicked up by the blast.

The two women were just inside the huge hole that had been where an outer wall had been just moments before. They were every bit as soot-covered as when the Ben Dover Library had met its fiery end. Kei was helping Yuri along, one of the raven-haired woman's arms draped over her partner's shoulders for support while the other arm held onto her laser rifle. The two were coughing hard as they tried to get out of the remains of the building.

Iria stopped and waved at the pair. Her wave died with its second motion as she saw a third figure emerge from the cloud as well, obviously towering over the girls despite being several meters behind them.

"Run for it!" Iria shouted as she activated the telescopic sight on her rifle for a long distance shot. She had to buy the pair time to get to cover before Zeiram opened up again.

Even as she brought her laser distancer and crosshairs almost lined up on Zeiram, she could see a white glow emanate from its chest. She watched Kei and Yuri spin in surprise, apparently only having become aware of the creature stalking them at that moment, leaving them no time to do anything other than die.

Without waiting to steady her aim, Iria snapped off a quick shot that hit Zeiram in the chest, causing the monster to shout and turn to the left, making the discharge from its chest arc to the side. It narrowly missed Kei and Yuri as the beam went first into the ground, and then to the left, slicing through even more of the walls of the processing plant.

Iria allowed herself a breath of relief at the close save. The comfort was short lived as the sound of straining metal reached her ears. She watched in abject helplessness as the side of the twenty ton structure directly above all three beings began to buckle from the incredible strain it was under from all of the weight resting on essentially less than half of the walls needed to maintain structural integrity. Slowly, inexorably, the building bent low and reached for the ground.

Silently, Iria watched in mute impotence as Kei looked up in open fear while Yuri seemed to panic by opening fire into the ground. Then the bounty hunter's view of the pair was blocked from view as part of building's frame fell to the ground directly in front of them. The rest of the building above followed suit less than a second later, collapsing inward. The loud sound reverberated off the nearby hills. It was powerful enough that Iria could feel the vibrations through her armor.

"No," Iria silently whispered as the rest of the structure collapsed. A plume of white energy shot upward through the debris and skyward as the main power plant exploded and vented its remaining energy.

The echoes eventually stopped. The only noise came from the sound of a handful of remaining pieces of building falling further downward and to the ground. Iria remained motionless. Time lost meaning for her, though not for the rest of the planet. Eventually, the temperature began to drop and the air became noticeably pungent, carrying the tang of increasingly greater amounts of nitrogen in it. But all Iria could do was stand, transfixed by the scene before her.

Repeatedly her mind tried denying the evidence before her eyes. It could not be. Not after all they had been through. There was no way the infamous 'Dirty Pair' could have been brought low by a mere building collapsing on top of them. It was too simple. Too easy. They had to have survived. No other outcome was possible.

As if in answer to her denial, a large section of the debris began bulging upward in defiance of the rest of the wreckage. A cry of hope on her lips, Iria rushed forward as the piece continued upward. The bounty hunter had made it only a dozen or so steps before the debris fell away and the being underneath was fully revealed.

Zeiram stood before her in all of its unholy glory.

Iria looked at the rest of the wreckage, expecting another piece to rise or shatter from an explosion, and for several shots to ring out and drive Zeiram back. But there was nothing as Zeiram shrugged the remaining rubble from his legs and moved forward, heading directly toward Iria.

That familiar motion, one she had lived through and seen countless times in dreams of the past, snapped her out of her reverie. For the first time in over twenty years she laid her naked eye upon the most baleful, despised creature in her existence. The pain of Kei's loss was temporarily overwhelmed by the hatred Iria felt for the abomination before her.

"DIE!" Iria shouted at the top of her lungs as she began running forward, firing wildly as she drew nearer her goal.

Some of the shots went wide, others struck home as Zeiram flinched under the furious firestorm of energy bolts directed towards it. Some even struck into the rapidly healing chest, causing the beast to roar out in pain again. It had no chance to fire back until Iria's powerpack gave out.

In the ensuing span of seconds, Zeiram responded by giving off a cry of agony as it removed an object merged underneath the fleshy surface of its back. It took only a moment for Zeiram to remove the long object and wield its hands.

Iria was still in the process of reloading as she saw the one-shot missile launcher leveled in her direction. There was a hiss as a jet of smoke shot from the rear of the missile as it left its launcher and sped in her direction. Iria did all that she could possibly hope for with a weapon of that sort aimed at her from under a fifty meters by hitting the ground, reducing her target profile and hoping that such a relatively small missile either didn't have an auto-guiding system or that Zeiram hadn't taken the time to lock it onto her.

Iria's hopes were realized as the missile sped over her, missing her completely. Further hopes were dashed as she discovered Zeiram's aim had proven painfully accurate and the missile detonated in the ground from only several meters away. The explosion was so close that Iria felt herself lifted bodily from the ground and hurled through the air. Reflexes took over as she went limp and allowed the shockwave to travel through her body rather than fighting it.

After what felt like kilometers, but was actually less than five meters, Iria landed hard. The wind was driven from her body. Every pore and bone ached. She felt the back of her neck cry out in raw pain from what had to be at least second degree burns. It had to have been a shockheat missile to cause that. Her left leg was numb, and every breath was agony through what she knew to be a broken rib or two. A part of her mind hoped it was along old breaks instead of new ones. Healing would be quicker that way.

She rolled onto her back only vaguely aware of her surroundings. It felt increasingly cold, despite the fiery nature of the explosion, and it was getting significantly harder to breathe. Whether it was from injuries or the air, Iria was uncertain, but she did know that it was only her armor that had allowed her to survive the near fatal detonation. Though with the way every part of her body ached, she didn't know if it was a blessing or curse.

Her senses were only just starting to come back when she saw the red sun blotted out by a huge green form standing above her. With a cry of pain as her muscles bellowed out in protest, she went for a holster at her belt and drew a pistol.

It felt like forever to Iria as the sidearm cleared its holster and rose into her line of sight. She had just brought the pistol around to Zeiram when its foot lashed out and caught her in the wrist of her gunhand. It drove her hand into the ground, the heel of its foot coming down cleanly on the arm. The pistol fell to the side from numb fingers while pain shot through the bounty hunter's entire limb, threatening to drive her into unconsciousness. The sound of something breaking came to her ears. Whether it was her armor or the bones of her wrist, she couldn't say as the suffering was too much to make the distinction.

That last bit of pain was too much for her to take. Her body refused to obey further commands as darkness crawled into the corners of her eyes. Her tongue played over lips that she could barely feel. There was the awareness of the bitter tang of blood in her mouth, a good bit of it, and she thought she felt something solid resting against the inside of her cheek. A tooth, perhaps, or maybe a part of her face.

Defending herself was impossible. That Zeiram would show mercy, equally so. This was it. After the merry chase she had led for over four decades and through countless star systems, Death had run her to ground at last. There was a deep seated bitterness in the bounty hunter that she had only felt once before in her life. It was from as much the fact that Kei had died before her as Iria's own life that was about to end on a moon in the middle of nowhere, an infinity away from her home and those that were important to her. So many things accomplished, so many left to do. It wasn't fair to her, or to Kei, or even Yuri.

And perhaps the worst thing about it all, in some weird way, was that Death had to take the form of the one thing she despised the most in the universe.

Defiant to the end, she spat out an oath consecrated with saliva and blood. "I swear I'll see you in Hell, then we'll really finish this once and for all."

Zeiram reacted as it had with every other creature it had ever encountered: it said nothing. Without a hint of wasted motion, it moved until it was directly above Iria. It then bent over, looking directly into her eyes with both the red horizontal slit in its trunk and the glowing red embers that rested in its white face. The white facade hissed and emerged from the brim of the 'hat' reaching forward until it was poised above Iria's face.

And then, lighting fast, the face descended.

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Definitely a good place to end this one.

Current Body Count: Several hundred residents on a DX-11000 space station plus unknown intruders that boarded the station afterwards.

Five in the Ben Dover Library

Approximently Sixty People on Asteroid K12

Communications outpost in Sector A45

One spaceship

Two Hundred and Thirty Three people on Yanki's Beautiful Haven's terraforming operation.

Possibly two 3WA Troubleshooters.


	5. Chapter 5

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot

Chapter 5

A Dirty Pair, Iria: Zeiram the animation crossover.

Any and all CC appreciated. You can contact me at:

Standard Disclaimer:

I disclaim I own any of the Dirty Pair characters or the folks from Iria: Zeiram, the Animation

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And then the head snapped back just as lightning quick, restored in its original position in the brim of Zeiram's head. Inexplicably, the giant green creature turned and strode away just as purposefully as it had when it approached Iria's prone form.

Disbelief, not relief, was the prevailing emotion Iria felt. What had just happened defied any process of logic. Zeiram never demonstrated mercy, almost as though the very concept eluded it. Moreover, Iria had attacked it, all but begging to be its next target. So why, when it would have taken it the same amount of effort to rip out her throat that most people took to chew a candy bar, had it stopped, and walked away as though its work was already done?

The high-pitched drone of engines filled the sky directly above Iria, distracting her. Lacking the strength to do anything more than raise her head, she gazed upward to see a boxy freighter swoop low and angle towards an open area a hundred meters away from her, right in the path of Zeiram.

Was the pilot insane? Didn't he understand the danger he would be in if he landed? She wanted to cry out and warn the foolish pilot away before he got himself and anyone else on board killed, but then the memory of a static-filled screen rose to the surface of her thoughts. Once remembered, it was a simple matter to place where she had seen the fat ship before.

So, Zeiram was still employing the same freighter that was on the space station as his means of getting around. Even if it felt that it had killed everyone else on the planet, why leave her alive? And the way Zeiram had just stopped and turned away, it made no sense!

The ship touched the ground and a ramp lowered from its midsection. Zeiram maintained the same steady pace it had before the craft landed. Had it called the freighter down, or was there some other factor involved? There were too many questions that she had no answers to.

"Not... get away," Iria managed to get out under her breath. She watched through a veil of pain as Zeiram approached the ramp. The bounty hunter knew she could survive, would survive, to avenge Kei and Yuri, though it was Kei she was really thinking of. Zeiram had now taken everything from her except her life, which it seemed to regard as not being worth snuffing out like it had everyone else. It would pay for its mistake. Perhaps not now, but soon. Very soon. She would not let herself die on this planet with the second chance Zeiram had given her. However, she needed time to recover before she could make good on her vow. If Zeiram flew off planet, he would escape again. But there was a way to track him.

Pain massaged every part of her body, making her vision grow dark around the edges. Hate fueled her awareness. Locked in a life and death struggle with consciousness, she refused to black out until her mission was accomplished. With her good arm, she brought out a pistol and pushed a selector switch. Unable to feel the fingers on the wrist Zeiram had stepped on, she placed the gun on the ground and went to her belt for the device. Her fingers fumbled around through the pouches as she tried to locate it. She knew she had a mobile transmitter head in her belt. She knew it! She just had to find the right pouch it was in.

Zeiram was less than twenty meters from the ship, whose engines were still running. She had to hurry, or else it would be too late. The monster was only ten meters away when her fingers finally closed on the desired piece. It was the only item with a smooth flat head. She brought it out and inserted the long prong at the end of it into the barrel of the sidearm laying on the ground. It was difficult arming the weapon one-handed, but her skills were up to the task as she managed with wavering fingers to jam it up the barrel, hearing the reassuring 'click' that let her know it was primed to be fired. Brushing a finger across the flat portion of the transmitter, it responded by activating its adhesive head. Zeiram's skin was armor hard, and hopefully just as sensitive, or else it was unlikely her impromptu plan would work.

Picking up the gun, Iria saw she was out of time. Zeiram was about to walk up the ramp. She moved quickly, her eyes tearing as the quick movement caused a new wave of pain to shoot through her. She tried lining up the sights, but the tears made her vision watery and her hand was wavering. She would never make the difficult shot.

And then, for one brief moment, the world came into perfect focus. She could see it all so clearly. Everything ceased to exist between her and the target. Taking one extra fraction of a second to hold her breath, she fired.

The large tiny projectile shot through the air in a straight line in the direction of the ship, impacting into the hardened earth right under where Zeiram's foot had been but a moment before.

The gun fell from unfeeling fingers and hit the ground with a dull thud. She had jerked pulling the trigger! It was a beginner's mistake, one she hadn't made since Gren was still alive. The mistake had cost her everything. If she had even shot a split second before, it would have hit Zeiram's heel at least. But she hadn't, and it didn't.

As she watched in mute despair, unable to summon the energy to even rise to her feet, the ramp folded up behind Zeiram, sealing the ship for space travel. The instant the ramp was in place the freighter took off at top speed, heading straight up through the atmosphere and beyond. It was little more than another twinkling light in the sky in under fifteen seconds.

Iria's eyes remained focused on the light until it disappeared completely from sight. It was over. There was no more strength left in her to fight any longer. She had failed everyone, from herself to the people of Yanki's Beautiful Haven, though it was Kei that was foremost on her mind. Kei that meant the most of them all. The most by far.

"I'm sorry." The apology barely escaped Iria's lips. Already her breath was beginning to mist from the cold air, the planet unable to contain enough heat necessary for survival now that atmospheric processor was destroyed. And the air was getting harder to breathe. That was the thicker atmosphere slowly leaking away, being replaced by the lighter one that originally circled the planet, one filled with only trace amounts of oxygen. Darkness beckoned while its brother, Pain, pushed her forward into its black embrace. Lacking the strength, and more importantly, the heart to fight it, she allowed herself to fall into a dreamless void.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

It sensed the departure of its progenitor and could feel the air around it become steadily colder. It felt neither angry nor frightened at being abandoned. It did not care in the slightest; it was too simple for such complex feelings. It was an elementary creature, an almost random mix of DNA that was somehow able to function as a living being. It was slightly over one and a half meters long, possessing a snake-like body with a huge head full of dagger-sharp teeth. Its flesh was jet black, the teeth and eyes pure white standing in stark contrast to its shiny obsidian surface.

It was motivated by an uncomplicated drive that involved little more than absolute obedience to its progenitor, and killing everything not like it and its siblings. There were no other siblings present any longer, nor could it find things not like it to kill. They were all already dead and it had eaten its fill to continue doing what it knew it must. But still, it would be certain there was nothing else to kill by searching again.

The change in the elemental composition of the air mattered little to it. It could breathe just about anything. It could even travel through deep space if it had to, entering a state of semi-hibernation until arriving at whatever destination it was called to. But it received no summons to follow the progenitor, so instead it moved around and sought more things to kill.

It slithered through shattered buildings and long conduits of pipes until it found another not like it thing. The other rested on the open ground, but it could feel the thing that was not like it still radiating heat and breathing. It would solve that problem quickly.

It sped across the ground, mindful of the other possibly rising up and trying to destroy it. Other things not like it had tried to do that, but they had all failed and been killed. It could conceive of when things not like it tried to prevent it from carrying out its tasks, and it would avoid those attacks so it could kill the others instead. Being attacked didn't make the creature angry; it wasn't able to care about that either.

It watched the thing not like it carefully as the creature slithered ever closer. The creature paused a moment before the prey laying on the ground, considering the best way to kill it since it was just lying there and allowing the creature to figure out the way to carry out its genetic imperatives with the least amount of effort. It was able to sense the armor covering most of the body, as well as the throat that was not protected by the armor. That would be the easiest vulnerable point. Course decided, it drew back its head and prepared to rip out the throat and feast on the other's flesh, unknowingly mirroring what its progenitor had done several minutes before, though this time having no intention of stopping at the last moment.

It coiled and lunged forward, but was intercepted halfway to its target by a boot. It forced the creature down to the surface, pinning it on the ground by the portion of its body located right beneath the head. Unable to move from a force that was much stronger than it, it hissed in protest and writhed around, trying to gain purchase and launch a counterattack.

It heard the words, "Bad Zeonoid! Now play dead!"

A white hot bolt of energy lanced through its head, disintegrating over half of its brain in less then a micro-second. The last thing it heard was, "Good boy."

And then there was nothing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sounds drifted in the white haze that she floated in. The white was nice, but she felt naked and bare when it retreated and made her aware of something other than the white.

There were only sounds at first, but eventually the sounds seemed to form patterns. It took a while for her brain to establish that the patterns were recognizable. Words. The sounds were words. Now all that remained was to decipher them.

"-am telling you that I'm still cold. We would definitely have frozen to death before suffocating."

"And I'm telling you that it was getting too hard to breathe quicker. We'd have suffocated first."

"All right, I'll grant you we'd have passed out before hypothermia set it, but we would definitely have frozen to death before our bodies suffocated. Remember, you don't need as much oxygen when you're asleep."

"No, no, no. You're all wrong. I... oh, look. Iria's starting to move."

That name triggered the return of memory. She was Iria. She was a bounty hunter. She needed to protect Kei and kill Zeiram. But Kei had died alongside Yuri when the building collapsed upon them. Feeling her heart break anew, Iria opened her eyes to see both members of the Lovely Angels standing next to her. Yuri watched her intently while Kei all but hovered directly above her fallen mentor.

"I'm dead too?" Iria's voice cracked with strain, as though she hadn't spoken for a week.

Yuri folded her arms and snorted in disgust. "Excuse me, but I am offended at the very idea that I would end up in the same place in the afterlife as Kei."

The particular outburst-cum-insult caused Kei to scowl at her partner. Giving Yuri a bland stare, the redhead said one word. "Clydesdales."

For a moment, it looked to Iria as though Yuri would fall over dead, given the ashen pallor her entire body took on in the span of a heartbeat. In total shock, the raven-haired troubleshooter babbled out, "I thought your memory of that whole day was erased!"

"Yuri, there are some things that are so disturbing they can never truly be erased from anyone's mind." Kei seemed highly amused now.

Yuri blurted out in a panicked stream, "I'll do whatever you want whenever you want, just don't ever mention that word to me again."

"What word?" Kei asked, now happy at having the upper hand.

"Right," Yuri said, relaxing somewhat.

Iria found herself convinced that she must be alive, as it was categorically impossible she would end up in the same place in the afterlife with either of her current companions. "So what's going on? How did you two survive?"

With some semblance of order returned, the duo began relating events as to exactly what had happened.

Kei starting things off, pointing to Yuri. "Actually, she's the one that saved our butts."

A measure of pride returned to Yuri as she preened slightly. "Just as the building was coming down on top of us, I noticed we were standing on the section of floor right above the coolant tanks for the atmospheric generator. So I emptied my gun into the floor, which gave way, and allowed us to splash down into the twenty thousand gallon tanks they have down there. Luckily, the rest of the flooring held and the building didn't come crashing down on top of us, at least not most of it. After things settled, it was only a matter of minutes for us to swim our way out, pick you up, and get off planet."

"And the radioactive elements in the coolant were really low and it didn't permanently affect us or anything," Kei added, happy that she wasn't glowing in the dark.

"I see," Iria said, relieved at Kei's continued health while angry at herself for letting Zeiram get away. Again. She looked around trying to figure out where she was. "Why are we on my ship?"

"We didn't want you getting any blood in our beds," Yuri said casually, eliciting a quick elbow to the ribs from Kei. The raven-haired 3WA agent shot her partner a nasty look. "Excuse me, but as I recall, the first words out of your lips were, 'she's not bleeding on my sheets'."

Giving a sad shake of her head, Iria tried to rise from the bed and into a sitting position, but a wave of dizziness swept over her, and she found herself unable to get more than a handful of inches up before having to settle back down again. "What's wrong with me?"

Kei heard the edge in Iria's voice. Speaking quickly to calm her mentor, she said, "Not much, really. Just a sprained wrist, two broken ribs, numerous contusions, second degree burns along the back of your neck and scalp, and a minor concussion. Sort of like what happens when you slip on a bar of soap in the bathroom while carrying a grenade with the pin pulled out."

"Why is it so hard to think?" Iria muttered through the haze of white that was still affecting her.

"That would be from the triple dose of Effarx painkillers we loaded you up with," Yuri explained.

Iria shook her head. "No. Painkillers will keep my head fuzzy and won't heal me up fast enough. Get me some Acenon Bandages."

That made Kei recoil. "No way! Those things will screw you up." Everyone knew that while the bandages did accelerate healing to incredible levels, they also increased the level of pain due to the augmentation in healing. Also, as time passed, it was proven that in some cases it would permanently lower or even ruin altogether the ability to heal from injuries, even from something as insignificant as a paper cut. Worse, it was completely random. Someone could use the bandages several times with no ill effects, and then suddenly end up dying from a minor gash. The number of people affected was a low percentage, which was why Acenon was still manufactured and utilized, but it did happen.

"I use them all the time," Iria slurred dismissively.

"You've used them five times in ten years, under heavy protest from me each time," Bob's voice was identical to that of a mother reminding her child that jumping into a raging blast furnace was probably a bad idea.

Kei placed a hand firmly on Iria's shoulders, making her lay back down. "That settles it. You kick back and enjoy your drug induced dreams. Let me and Yuri take care of things for a while now. You've earned a break."

Kei felt Iria slump in defeat, the bounty hunter resting her head on her pillow as her eyes became heavy lidded. "Okay, but wake me up if you find Zeiram." Iria's voice drifted off, with the word "Zeiram" taking three times longer to finish than it normally would.

Seeing Iria give up and drift off, a smile rose to Kei's lips as she considered the remarkable turn of events that led her to be the one taking care of the older woman for a change. The lack of an argument from the bounty hunter was an obvious indication of just how badly she had been hurt. Once satisfied Iria was going to sleep, Kei wordlessly left the bedside and returned to the Lovely Angel with Yuri in tow.

They were gone for no more than a couple of minutes when Iria's eyes fluttered open. Sensing the Lovely Angels would not be returning anytime soon, the bounty hunter focused with every ounce of remaining concentration she possessed. It seemed to take forever for her to summon enough strength to roll out of bed and onto the floor, her fall only being interrupted by the deck plates underneath. It took a few more seconds to regain enough strength to start a slow, arduous crawl towards the back of the ship.

"I could call Kei and have her strap you to the bed," Bob offered. He didn't need his sensors to tell him that Iria was trying to get to the first aid kit stored in a nearby locker where some Acenon Bandages were stored. However, the glare Iria shot informed him that if such an event occurred, he would be reduced to running the waste management programs for the rest of his electronic existence. The loud sigh he gave to Iria announced he was washing his hands clean of the matter. Putting his free time to good use, he returned to processing the most recent information he had gleaned from Yanki's Beautiful Haven. There was something there, some important detail that could be added to the rest of the information he had uncovered and produce a clearer picture. Bob was sure he could figure out if he had just a little more time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was time.

After leaving the Creeper V, Kei announced she needed to grab some food from the mess and asked Yuri if she wanted some. Declining, the raven-haired troubleshooter gave some vague answer about finishing some work she had started and headed directly to the bridge.

There was a little twinge from Yuri's conscience, just a tiny thing that protested what she was considering, but realistically there was no question that it had to be done. They had failed to bring in Zeiram again, had nearly died in the attempt, which meant it was time to call in reinforcements.

Bob would probably be okay with her decision, he seemed to be the reasonable sort, but Iria and Kei would raise hell about it. It wasn't Iria's reaction Yuri was so much concerned about, but rather Kei's. They were partners after all, and she loved Kei like a sister. The redhead's feelings nearly always meant something to Yuri, but with this mission, Kei had gone too far. She had allowed her own personal feelings to get in the way of professionalism and they were suffering for it. Oh, sure, Kei and others had made that accusation about Yuri in the past, but they were full of crap. Just because a few planets had blown up on missions she'd been assigned to was no indication of allowing her performance level to curve down due to personal problems; she was a professional to the bone.

Course at last finalized, Yuri went to the communications console and punched up the data on the memory banks. Not finding her report in the primary memory, she checked the backup in case that had somehow been set up as the default program for storing the message. Again, there was nothing, not even the automatic backup that should have been generated when she initially saved the report.

Yuri was still trying to figure out what had happened when Kei entered the bridge with a steaming cup of coffee in hand. Continuing to scowl at the console, the raven-haired woman spoke without looking at her partner. "Did you fool around with the computer systems at all?"

"Nah. I didn't mess up anything." Kei took a sip of the coffee. "I deliberately erased your report. You can't really call that 'fooling around', now can you?"

Head jerking at the casual way Kei had delivered the statement, Yuri spun on her with a mix of anger at what her partner had done and surprise at her secretive actions being mentioned in such an offhand manner. "You had no business doing that!"

Kei met the accusation with a scowl of her own. "I told you, this is our case. We can handle it without any outside interference."

"The hell we can!" Yuri slammed her hand down on the console. It was the wiser course of action, preferable to going with her initial urge and hitting Kei, but it felt nowhere near as satisfying. "People are dying left and right, and we haven't come close to stopping any of it. We've been lucky to have survived ourselves. We need to call headquarters and get somebody else on this case."

Kei snarled back in anger, "This is bigger than just Zeiram, and you know it! Did you forget what happened on Delabar? We go public with this and the bad guys are either going to go into hiding or really unload on everything around."

"Bullshit!" Yuri's own anger increased in direct proportion to Kei's. How dare she get angry when it was Yuri that had been so terribly wronged. "We don't know anything of the kind. You've completely lost any objectivity. This is personal for you and Iria, Kei. It's been that way from the beginning. You two just have to settle this personal vendetta and screw everyone else who might get hurt in the process, just so long as its you two who take out Zeiram in the end!"

"We're the best suited for the job!"

"But you're not the only ones suited for it," Yuri said with iron in her voice. "I'm informing headquarters of everything we know."

Yuri reached out for the transmitter, but Kei's hand shot forward and grasped it halfway there.

"Don't make me stop you, Yuri."

The soft tone of seriousness in Kei's voice made Yuri recoil. Kei was loud and boisterous when delivering threats, not quiet and solemn, that was more along Yuri's lines. "You're threatening me?"

Kei didn't back off in the slightest. "I'm telling you not to do this."

Yuri ripped her hand out of Kei's, furious beyond measure. Never had Kei pushed her like this, not over this sort of matter. "I'm your partner, not your subordinate. You ask me things. You don't order me around."

"Then I'm asking you to let it go," Kei might have been pleading, but it carried the same hint of iron Yuri's had, and told her Kei would not be backing down in the slightest.

Under different circumstances, Yuri might have gone along with it given Kei's obvious feelings on the matter, but with the way her partner had been all but gushing since Iria had shown up and been doing everything short of groveling to please her, coupled with the irrational Captain Ahab-like vengeance Kei had demonstrated pursuing Zeiram, all it succeeded in doing was making Yuri angry instead. "Not a chance." Her voice was heavy with finality.

"Don't make me do something we'll both regret," Kei said, begging without sounding like it in the least as her hands formed fists.

More incensed than ever, Yuri backed up and mirrored her partner's aggressive stance. How dare Kei do this to her! "Partners for over fifteen years and you're going to piss it all away because of some oversized walking mushroom and your stupid obsessed mother figure."

The punch was so fast Yuri didn't realize she was falling until her head struck the corner of the console hard. Her body continued onward, crashing 'pleasantly' to the metal of the floor, bouncing only once before settling down on the cool surface.

"Don't call Iria that! Don't you dare call her anything like that ever again, Yuri!" Kei shouted through her tears. The redhead could feel her heart breaking, torn in two directions because of Yuri. Why couldn't she just back off and see reason? Why did she have to choose now to be intractable and insulting? And she had no business calling Iria names. Not Yuri. Not her own partner. Of all the people in Kei's life, Yuri should have been the last one in the entire universe to insult someone so important to her. It was almost as though her partner was trying to force Kei to choose between her and Iria. There was no choice to be made, and even if there was, it was impossible to choose between the two. No one could ever make such a choice.

Kei watched Yuri try to get up, then fall onto her back, eyes almost rolling into the back of her head. Her anger became mixed with concern. No matter how pig-headed and offensive Yuri was behaving, they were still partners, and it did look like she had hit her head hard against the console. Add to that Kei's own tremendous strength and it was lucky Yuri's jaw was still attached at all.

Kei kneeled down on the floor and bent over the prone woman. "Hey, Yuri. I didn't hit you too hard, did I? You are okay, right?"

"Better than you are," Yuri managed to get out.

A rabbit punch connected with Kei's solar plexus, the unexpected blow knocking the wind clean out of her. Kei fell onto her back, sounding like a set of bellows as she tried to recover her breath. "Going... to... get... you... for... that," she got out between gasps.

"No way, blubberguts." Yuri tried picking herself up using the chair for support, only to seemingly have the chair move itself from out of her grasp and cause her collapse to the floor again. "Computer, make the room stop spinning," she ordered.

"We don't have an... audio response system... chunky." Kei managed to get to her feet first, looking for something to hit Yuri with. Fists were nice, but there was something infinitely more satisfying about pummeling someone with a large metal object.

Yuri at last regained her own footing, somewhat shakily, and confronted Kei once again. The two squared off more cautiously than before.

Kei moved first, lunging at Yuri and determined to use her slight strength advantage to overpower her in a clench. Yuri countered by twisting in the direction she had already been swooning towards. Caught off-balance by the last second evasion, Kei tripped and met the floor hard instead. Although at the last second Kei had lashed out with her hand and caught Yuri by the top of her outfit, dragging the dark-haired woman down to the floor as well and slowing her fall with Yuri's resistance. Kei released her hold on the top and tried grappling her opponent, while Yuri tried to do the same. The duo rolled around on the deck, each trying to gain an advantage over the other.

Yuri had a death grip on Kei's hair, while Kei had one of Yuri's arms bent behind her back, when a male voice, smooth as ice, purred "Oh yeah. Keep at it, girls! I'm getting all of this on video. We're going to make millions with this hot catfight."

Both opponents froze, only their heads turning in the direction from where the voice had come from, their console.

Kei managed to speak first, "Bob, what the hell are you talking about?"

Bob continued using the Lovely Angel's bridge console to talk smoothly to them. "I think we'll dub it, 'The Dirty Pair Get Down and Nasty'. Send a little preview through the galactic net, and I see preorders stretching into the billions."

The pair, suddenly realizing the position they were in, shot to their feet and stood a full meter away from one another. Embarrassment at what they had done, or more importantly, what they had been caught doing, temporarily eradicating their anger.

"Yuri, breasts," Kei hissed.

Yuri looked down at her top, seeing that one of her breasts had popped free when Kei had grabbed her by it. She gave a yelp and promptly covered it up once again.

"So much for the free show," Bob sighed.

"Look you," Yuri warned, her anger at Kei gone in light of the potential embarrassment from Bob's threat. And it was only a threat. She would make damn sure of that. "What are you doing in our ship anyway?"

"I needed to get some information and your transmitter was more powerful. Since I was here, I decided to let you know what I discovered." Not that he was pleased at the duo duking it out for some reason. His time dealing with women, Iria in particular, made him realize that embarrassing them was a far more effective way of breaking up the fight instead of demanding they stop. Women never reacted well to being ordered around. Being subtle always gained far better results, even when one was composed of data and electricity instead of flesh.

"What information was that?" Yuri asked, relaxing somewhat from the distraction and mystery, though irritated that Bob had used the link between the ships to get into their system. She was going to have to improve the defenses on their system.

"Several things, mostly ownership records. I think I've found a pattern in Zeiram's targets. One that might enable us to head him off for a change."

"That's great!" Kei said, also putting what had just happened in the back of her mind as she found another target for her aggression. "Where?"

"Let's get back together with Iria first. I don't want to have to explain things twice." And maybe Kei could persuade her to not use the Acenon Bandages, though he held no real hopes for that. Even Kei had only so much pull with Iria, and two voices of reason were as likely to be ignored as one in this case.

The duo shot uncertain glances at one another, then seemed to come to an unspoken truce. Getting Zeiram would take precedence over their 'discussion,' but they would return to it when time allowed. There were way too many issues to be settled, and not all of them were related to sending word to headquarters. However, there was one other small detail to take care of before anything else. Even more important that hunting down Zeiram.

"Ah, Bob, you didn't videotape that, did you?" Kei asked hesitantly.

"Now Kei, would I do something like that?"

"You're avoiding answering the question," Yuri informed him.

"I would never sell a videotape of you two in a compromising position."

"Well, that's better-" Kei began.

"At least not without digitally fogging your faces first."

"BOB!" The two yelled in one voice.

"No, I didn't. Give me some credit," Bob said in genuine irritation. Even if taping it and keeping a private copy would have been sort of neat. He had become something of a voyeur over the years, though being reduced to his current state had a lot to do with that.

After several more inquiries, and being satisfied that Bob had definitely not taped them, the duo headed off the bridge. The fight itself was left behind, but some tension still existed between them.

Despite the barrier, or perhaps because of it, Yuri remarked teasingly to her partner, "Going for my breasts, Kei? I always thought you looked at me a bit funny. I hate to break it to you, but I don't go that way."

"I am not that way!" Kei shot back.

"What about Senchiro Sykes?"

"For your information, he was a hermaphrodite. Hermaphrodites don't count. And it wasn't like I knew he was one until we..."

Bob tuned everything out after that. There were some things no man, even one reduced to being a computer intelligence, wanted to know.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"You're a complete idiot!"

"A complete idiot? Good. I hate doing things halfway."

"Tell her she's bring a complete idiot, Bob!"

"I can't. She'll cut me off from cyber-porn sites, and then I really will go insane."

"You tell her, Yuri."

"What Kei said." Yuri stood resting her back against the bulkhead of the Creeper V, well away from the other two. Actually Kei probably was correct, since Iria was sitting up in her bed, doing a damn poor job of hiding just how much suffering she was in. The pain was coming from the Acenon Bandages she had wrapped around her torso and neck. Painkillers wouldn't work any more once the bandages were in place. Something about the Acenon negating the effect of any drug. It was the price one paid for ultra-quick healing. Still, even Yuri could tell the red marks from the burns were already fading and that the ribs would most likely heal within the next seven hours, a testament to just how effective the augmenting property of the bandages was.

Upon their return to the ship, and seeing the state Iria was in, Kei nearly shot across the chamber and ripped the bandages off herself. Only the knowledge that any potential damage would already have occurred staved off that action, though not by much. Instead, Kei had gone into a tongue-lashing that even Iria would have winced at, had she not been already wincing from her wounds and bandages. "Complete idiot" was probably the most pleasant appellation Kei had made so far. There had been plenty of others that would have made a Progtalian smuggler blush. As far as Yuri was concerned, she agreed with Kei, but figured it wasn't her place to take a side. It was Iria's life, and she had the right to take it into her own hands. And that wasn't considering the bounty hunter was not exactly Yuri's favorite person in the galaxy at the moment.

"Can we get on with this?" Iria finally said through deeply bloodshot eyes, another side effect of Acenon.

Kei continued sitting next to Iria, going between fussing and cursing at least twice in each sentence. Sensing Kei had no intention of stopping anytime this week, Yuri added, "I want to know what you've uncovered too, Bob."

With the vote three to one, Bob began his explanation. "I've been running over every fact we've come across since encountering Zeiram at the space station, trying to make some sort of sense out of all of this mess. Up until now, I simply didn't have enough to make even a half-decent guess about anything. But with this latest attack, I think I've finally figured out the common denominator with nearly all of the targets he's hit thus far: they all belong to Yurenex-Solvar Corporation."

That perked all three women up, even the pain-shrouded Iria.

"All of them?" Kei asked.

There was hesitation in Bob's voice. "Well, all but the mining operation. That was owned by Sarvgon, a small geology corporation that operates in this arm of the galaxy. But all of the others were owned by YSC. And there's something else. Once I made the YSC connection, I did some additional digging, that's why I borrowed your pass codes to get the information from the 3WA Information net."

"And?" Yuri asked.

"Well, this is a bit of a jump in logic, but when Tedan-Tippendai went belly up after the Zeiram fiasco, they were bought out by a company called the Tormend Confederation."

That made Iria react. "TC is competing fiercely with Yurenex-Solvar in several areas, including trying to muscle in on YSC's near deathlock on the space vehicles industry."

"And all of the targets hit, except for the mining colony, were the closest Yurenex-Solvar owned businesses in this sector of space," Bob said, satisfied that the others understood the full importance of the knowledge he had uncovered.

"Where's the next closest YSC owned operation?" Iria asked, her pain pushed to the background for the time being as the scent of the hunt filled her senses once again.

"Now there we have something of a problem," Bob admitted. "According to my database, there are two YSC business almost equal distance from here. One is located in the Baltron system, the other in Omicron 4. Baltron is closer, but smaller, a series of banks on the one populated planet in the system. However, the one on Omicron 4 is a biggie. Management center for this part of the sector. If Zeiram is trying to hurt these guys, that would almost definitely be his target."

The others processed all of the surprising information. At last some pieces were falling into place, although there were still some important ones missing.

Kei mentioned that first. "Going after specific targets, like businesses owned by a corporation, is definitely not the method of operation Zeiram used last time. He definitely went with something more along the lines of a 'see it, kill it,' philosophy."

"Maybe he's got a grudge against Yurenex-Solvar?" Yuri offered.

"He's not the kind of guy to carry those sorts of grudges," Kei assured her.

"There's another possibility," Iria said, continuing to ignore the pain that was wracking her body. "Zeiram didn't kill me, despite having the opportunity to finish me off with just the clamping of his jaws. Just when it looked like he was about to, he stopped and walked away. A moment later that freighter he used on the space station landed and gave him a ride off planet. I wasn't in any shape to consider what had happened up until now, but the more I think about it, the more I believe that he didn't summon that ship anymore than he flew it off the space station like we first assumed. I think someone else landed it and picked him up. I think Zeiram has himself a partner."

"A zeonoid?" Yuri asked.

Kei shook her head. "None of them are anywhere near bright enough to pilot a spaceship of any kind."

"And that still doesn't explain why he didn't kill me when he had the chance," Iria pointed out. Talking was becoming easier as the pain seemed to subside somewhat.

"Gren?" Kei asked hesitantly.

Iria grimaced, though no one, not even Iria herself, could tell if it was from a sudden shard of pain, or from the memory, not even Iria herself. "No. Even when he was in Zeiram, and I don't think he is any longer, the best he could do was make Zeiram vulnerable for only a handful of seconds. Whatever it was that made tall dark and ugly leave, it wasn't Gren."

No one was foolish enough to imply Zeiram's reaction came from a sudden conversion to pacifism. That seemed to leave only one reasonable option. Yuri was the one to give voice to it. "Someone's controlling Zeiram?"

None of the others were able to discount that one, no matter how much they wanted to, not with what it implied. Zeiram was bad enough with the regular 'hunt-kill' intelligence it had possessed before. It was smart, but fell into certain predictable patterns. But if it was being controlled by an outside force, things would become significantly more difficult. But that new fact would do nothing to dissuade the women. If anything, it simply served to prove the necessity of stopping Zeiram quickly.

The sentiment was clearly stated when Iria announced, "Then it's off to Omicron 4 we go."

Kei was all for it, which was exactly what Yuri had mentally predicted was going to happen when she saw the direction the conversation was taking. Naturally with their obsessions they would overlook a significant detail. It was up to Yuri to force the issue by making them confront the potential problem, even if the other two did not want to hear it.

"What if we're wrong, and he hits Baltron?" Yuri asked Iria, but shot a glare to Kei. It was returned just as fiercely by the redhead.

Despite the pain, Iria was mentally clear enough to consider those words of caution. Splitting up was out of the question, it was going to take all three of them to get the mission accomplished. But if Zeiram did indeed hit Baltron while they were searching Omicron 4, any ensuing deaths that resulted from the planet not being warned would be their responsibility. Still, to warn them would mean letting information about Zeiram out and possibly having him and his associates go into hiding, if their guesses were right. If they were and that happened, Zeiram might not surface again for years, if ever.

"We'll send a warning about the freighter. Say there's a Class-1 Biological Hazard on board, and that the ship is not to land under any circumstances, even if it means shooting it down. That should do it." Iria didn't like tipping their hand about suspecting where Zeiram would strike, but since they had to admit there was a realistic possibility he would attack there, they had to do something to protect the people.

Kei looked at Yuri, who seemed to accept the decision reluctantly. Technically Zeiram could be rated as a Class-1 Biological Hazard. And it would serve to put the planet on alert for him. That concession made it a victory of sorts for Yuri, though a small one. Still, it seemed the first she had since running into Iria and Zeiram. Since it was her idea, Yuri headed off to make the warning.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The communications relay satellite Optima 4 hung in planetary orbit above Baltron. It was the planet's primary means of receiving deep space communications, a new device put up just three years before and proving itself more than capable of handling the entire information load that had been distributed among the aging, expensive to maintain, and far less effective series of Kintups 5 satellites that had previously handled all deep space communications. Once the planetary government was certain the new device was capable of doing all of the services it was supposed to, all but one of the Kintups were abandoned and left to break down or burn up on reentry to the atmosphere. The remaining Kintups served as a backup in case something did happen to Optima 4, allowing it to be pressed into service once again until another of the Optima series could be put up to replace the old one. But since nothing ever happened to the state of the art relay system, no one ever bothered to man the communications console for the old Kintups, allowing the satellite to log all of the messages it received on automatic.

Had anyone bothered to examine the logs on the remaining Kintups, they would have discovered an anomaly; a warning about a freighter with a Class 1 Biological Hazard that had not been relayed by Optima 4 to planetary control. However no one ever did examine it, so no one ever discovered the omission.

But Optima 4 had indeed received the transmission. It failed to transmit the message to planetary control due to a number of hidden backdoors programmed into it, and that someone had recently given it a set of orders that superseded the commands that had been inserted by the Baltron Planetary Government. Instead, the message was relayed somewhere else, a place where others had been keeping their 'ears' open for such bits of information. A place where decisions were made.

"Transmit orders to Group Beta. They'll know what to do."

And so it was done.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Surprisingly easy and simple, isn't it?"

"Yes, very," Iria agreed. Her ribs didn't hurt anymore, at least not as much as when they had been broken. All that was left was a lingering throbbing sensation from the center of her chest. Everything else was perfect. A seven hour spaceflight was more than enough time for the Acenon to work its miraculous magic.

However, the condition of her mentor's health was not what Kei was commenting on, but rather the ease with which they had seemed to locate Zeiram. Upon arriving in Omicron 4's atmosphere, they picked up current broadcasts that told them Yurenex-Solvar's headquarters' was under attack by some unknown force. Law enforcement units were reportedly already at the scene and controlling the situation. Using their authority as 3WA troubleshooters, the Dirty Pair were given preferential treatment and escorted immediately to the site, bringing Iria along under the auspices of an 'observer.' Upon arriving at the scene, the trio acknowledged that 'controlling the situation' might have been a bit of an exaggeration. It was more along the lines of, 'we're getting out asses kicked all over the place like a giant soccer ball.'

The police's position nearly three-quarters of a kilometer away from the headquarters allowed the trio to view the almost total carnage before them. YSC had purchased the land all around their main building, making it a variety of parking lots and areas of green lawn that would have been very pleasing to the eye had it not been for the over half dozen smoking vehicles that were lying in complete ruin around the site. Well over twenty bodies could be seen sprawled out over the grounds, none of them even close to the structure (which could only be dubbed 'surrounded' using the loosest form of the term) by the remaining members of the local authorities, who were cowering behind their vehicles well beyond the nearest flaming ruin. No one seemed the least bit eager to approach the headquarters again.

The trio asked around, trying to locate the commander of the forces there. As they went from person to person, Iria noticed that Kei and Yuri no longer walked as near to one another as before, each seeming intent on putting Iria between them. Now that she was out of the haze of pain, the bounty hunter observed that there was a noticeable tension between them. Hopefully, it wouldn't affect the mission. She would grill Kei about what had happened later, after they had taken care of Zeiram for the final time.

Once informed of who the commander was, they located him in short order. He was the a rotund man squatting behind a police hover vehicle, surrounded by a small pile of used cigarettes at his feet and holding a sidearm in one hand and a radio in the other. He was yelling at the radio through another dangling cigarette in his mouth.

"-get me some goddamn support, you military screwjobs! No, I don't care if you don't have jurisdiction, and it'll cause an incident! No, I don't care if your coming here does trigger a civil war with the city authorities, we've already got a war right here, you blue-coated weaselshafts! WHAT?! You'll send an observer to determine if the situation requires your assistance?! Observe this, you warmongering whore!" The man brought his gun up and shot the transmitter, nearly taking his hand off in the process.

"You sure showed him," Yuri commented dryly as they drew near enough to the commander to be heard over the din of panicked confusion his men were in, noting that the name tag on his badge said, 'Renaldo Simms.' All the rest of his men had succeeded in doing so far was keeping the civilian population back and away from the site, although maybe it was the people's survival instincts that accomplished that feat.

Simms took in the trio before him. He didn't seem to know what to make of Iria, but upon looking Kei and Yuri over, he said. "I've got no time for hookers, girls. See me after this shit's all over, though knowing my luck, I'll get tagged in the balls and have to get one of those X-L J. Holmes prosthetics."

"We're 3WA troubleshooters, you asshole!" Kei snapped with a vicious glint in her eye. Yuri appeared just as eager to draw her gun and correct the officer the hard way, namely by pistol whipping him.

Simms scrutinized them a second time. "Don't you think you guys are a bit old to be going around in two piece outfits like that. You aren't doing anyone any favors by showing the effect gravity has on a body, you know."

Iria was barely able to restrain the two from making the man as dead as Zeiram would have. Deciding she had the most level head of the people present, she took charge of the situation, allowing the man to assume she was a troubleshooter as well. "If I were you, I'd watch my mouth. It seems to me you don't have all that many options, since it's obvious no one is coming to help bail your ass out. And you've been doing so well on your own, too." Iria pointed at the wasteland of law enforcement debris before her.

The commander considered that and nodded in apology. "Sorry. Your sag is barely noticeable."

Iria had the Dirty Pair calmed down enough to start talking coherently in under five minutes.

Once peace was achieved, Simms began explaining the situation. "We received a silent alarm from YSC's headquarters here at 13:40 local time. Two units were sent out to investigate. When they didn't report in, and we received a call saying there was an explosion around here, we came out in full force. That was a mistake. It turned out to be an ambush."

"Let me guess. It was a huge nine foot tall monster that looks like a giant mushroom on steroids and is able to use any kind of firearm like a highly trained mercenary," Kei said smugly.

"Wow! That's amazing," the officer said in awe.

Kei smirked. "Thanks. I know I-"

"That anyone could be so far off on the description of a perp," the officer finished.

Kei's eyebrow twitched. "What?"

Iria was just as concerned. "Do you mean to tell me that isn't what attacked you? Are you sure?"

Simms placed his hand to his chin in thought. "Well, now that you mention it, I suppose I could have mistaken several guys wearing black special forces type jumpsuits and carrying sophisticated state-of-the-art armament while moving with a military precision that managed to blow up half of the police force in the city in just over a minute as not being a giant walking mushroom. Sorry about that. I guess it was your perp."

Kei looked the commander's forces over. "We could have done it in under a minute."

That raised Simms's ire. He stood up, bowing and gesturing to the YSC building. "By all means, help yourselves. Hope you don't choke on a missile barrage."

For the first time since leaving the ship, Kei and Yuri smiled at one another. "Sounds like he's giving us jurisdiction, wouldn't you say?" Yuri asked.

"Sounded like it to me," Kei agreed.

"That is not what I meant," Simms started to argue, but it was far, far too late.

Yuri smiled, all the while knowing his protests would do him no good. "But that's what you said, and unlike most people, our word alone is admissible in intergalactic court and not treated as hearsay. So you're going to yield control of the situation to us and render what assistance you can."

Simms blustered in anger at being tricked into the helping them. "In case you didn't notice, there isn't a whole lot of help I can give you. We're completely wasted."

"Oh relax," Yuri said soothingly, which only served to make Simms more nervous. "We'll take care of things ourselves. None of your men will be placed at additional risk. Not intentionally, anyway."

Simms blood pressure nearly doubled. "I don't see what you can do. That whole place is a kill zone. It's all open area and those guys have an unrestricted view of everything and the firepower to bring down an armored spaceship. You try getting to that building, and you'll just get yourselves wasted."

"We've cracked tougher nuts than this," Kei bragged. It was at that point Simms gave up. The only consolation he had was that since there were three of them, they weren't the Dirty Pair. If they had been, he'd have probably jumped off planet in a heartbeat, wife and family be damned.

Satisfied they now had the situation under control, the three women formed a huddle and began a quiet discussion so that the commander couldn't hear them.

Iria spoke first. "As incompetent as this guy is, I think he's right. This doesn't sound like Zeiram."

"But from the description the foul-mouthed jerk gave, I'd say the attackers do bear a strong resemblance to that guy that tried to kill us in the library," Yuri mentioned.

Kei nodded in agreement. "And they're hitting a YCS operation. Sounds like a probable connection to me. And it's our duty to help out the people of this planet out, as well as saving anyone left alive inside."

"You're just looking for an excuse to shoot something," Iria smirked while ruffling Kei's hair.

"Cut it out, you're embarrassing me," Kei protested.

Yuri gave a loud "Ahem!" to catch their attention. Really, did they have to act so unprofessional? "Let's figure out how we can get in there."

The three discussed the plan for all of thirty seconds before coming to an agreement. Yuri acted as spokesperson for the trio. She went up to the commander and began listing her demands. "We aren't going to need much to get into that place. Just one of your larger vehicles, three full body reinforced firefighting outfits, as big a smokescreen as you can manage, a hundred, twenty gallon drums of paint thinner and kerosene, a powerful laser cutting torch, and last but not least, a cinderblock."

All Simms could manage was a twitch of the jaw.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rene Foulcard looked out from his position on the third story of the north side of Yurenex-Solvar's Regional Third Branch Headquarters. There were only twenty-four members in his unit, but a few people in key positions, armed appropriately, could hold off a force ten times its size from the building's location. Setting up the defense had been easy for him. He was a master of strategy. Chess was his favorite game, and he was almost a rated grandmaster at it. And like all of his strategies, this one had turned out perfectly.

According to the other members of the unit, their tasks were nearly completed and they could depart through the upper atmosphere once the signal for their escort cover was sent. The job had been a messy business, but that was what Rene was paid to do. What he had been trained to do. What he lived for.

One of the members of his unit drew close. "Captain."

"No ranks!" Rene hissed. Ranks denoted training and were a clue others might be able to follow up on should a person overhear, not that there was anyone left alive in the facility outside of his own people. Still, only the careless took chances, and the careless always died in the end. Always. Out in the field they were numbers, not names. Number 8, Kira Ohara, knew better than that. He would discipline her once they were back at the nearest safehouse they were delivered to. And it wasn't the sort of discipline Ohara would like, even with her unusual tastes.

'Number 8' took the admonishment in stride, appearing truly repentant. Either that or she was demonstrating loyalty so she wouldn't receive a bad report and not get her bonus.

"Number 22!" Ohara said urgently.

Rene had thought it particularly brilliant designating himself as Number 22. It made him sound less important to those outside the unit that were ignorant of the truth. Likewise, it made him a less valuable target for snipers, that would no doubt make whoever Number 1 was the primary target, believing him to be the commander. This mission it had been Stroski, who had managed to get on Rene's bad side a few weeks back by picking up a woman in a bar that Rene had wanted to get to know better. Maybe it would be Stroski next mission too. The woman had been painfully attractive, after all.

Good looking women were hard to come by for Rene. He would be the first to admit he was not particularly handsome, balding so much that by the age of twenty-five he shaved off all of his hair, considering it a lost cause anyway. He was slender and possessed a wiry strength, and though not unattractive, neither was he remarkable in any way save the eyes. Most people that dared voice their opinion about them claimed they were slightly crazed. Rene knew the truth though, they were just jealous of his superiority. And besides, everyone knew the eyes were the mirror to the soul, and his soul was remarkable. His eyes were just a reflection of that.

The thought ran through Rene's mind in an instant as he understood that Ohara was pointing over his shoulder. He looked out the window, and saw a canister hit the ground and begin emitting some kind of gas. It was the fifth so far, and more could be seen on the way through the rapidly thickening cloud of gray.

"Morons," Rene cursed. This was insulting. As though they could be gassed out. Over his communicator, he ordered. "All personnel, gas attack." Rene fit his own mask over his face, the transparent plastic not restricting his view in the slightest as it affixed to the hood of his suit and formed an airtight seal. It was so clear it was as though it wasn't there, and it would keep out every kind of gas there was.

"Motor running," Number 8 noted.

Rene had to admit, the woman's hearing was even more acute than his own. Perhaps her punishment would not be so severe after all. Rene had certainly done his share of bloodletting today, and his more savage, baser instincts were satisfied, at least for a while.

Switching the mask over to heat detection, he could easily make out the truck that was barreling toward the building, hidden from normal sight by the huge gas cloud. "They are even bigger fools than I first believed. They deserve to die." He picked up the portable missile launcher that sat next to his post at the window and lined the laser tracking computer on the target, waiting until the manual sight he had attached to the weapon was lined up with the approaching vehicle. He never liked relying too much on technology. It had a bad tendency to give out on you when you could least afford to lose it. Personal prowess could always be counted on, even when things turned to shit.

"So long." Rene triggered the weapon and felt the kick from the launcher as the missile shot out towards the target. His heat imaging easily allowed him to track the missile's flight until it impacted with the oncoming vehicle a moment later.

A titanic fireball blossomed from the truck, the force of the explosion shattering even the durable windows at a distance of a hundred meters. The sudden flash of heat blinded both Rene and Ohara, and caused them to shut their eyes.

Once the initial surprised passed, Number 8 said, "Holy shit, Number 22. What sort of explosive did you use? Nalpa? I didn't think even that could make a fireball that big."

"That's because it can't, you worthless twit!" Rene snarled as his vision slowly started to return. It was a good thing he had been blinking just as the explosion occurred, otherwise there was no telling how long it would have taken to recover his eyesight.

Still, he knew Number 8 was right. That was an impressive explosion. Too impressive. The truck had gone up like a fuel tanker, which made no sense. Why would they send a fuel tanker at...

"SHIT!" he cursed at the top of his lungs and looked out at the scene in front of the building. Flames covered the ground, starting smaller fires everywhere on the lawn, and the air was still superheated from the explosion. Rene could barely make out anything. It was all a yellow blur on heat imaging. Switching to regular vision proved no better, light amplification was worthless, and they possessed no portable radar units. It took only a moment to figure out what had happened, and what it meant for his men.

Speaking into his com-link, Rene gave his commands. "All personnel, intruders have breached the perimeter. Orders are to shoot on sight, and shoot to kill."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Brilliant work, Kei."

"I have to admit, Iria, that the idea of paint thinner and kerosene was the perfect choice of liquids to use."

"And the cinderblock to keep the empty vehicle moving was simple in design, though effective, Kei. Congratulations to you."

"A good thing you thought about the firefighting suits to use to walk through the flames, Yuri. I hate to think what would have happened if we had forgotten about that little detail."

"Definitely an all-around good plan." Although Kei thought that infiltrating the place by hiding in a giant wooden badger would have worked just as well. The others shouldn't have made fun of her idea like that. It was a good plan too.

The trio ran through the masking wall of smoke and flames and made their way next to a featureless section of the wall on the east side of the building, peeling out of their bulky fireproof suits once they got there. The opposition was probably just as well trained as the people they had fought on the station and the library, which meant they would anticipate conventional tactics. The next thing an opponent would have done in order to enter the building would have been to approach through one of the doors or windows and enter through one of those egresses, hoping they weren't well covered or else blasting their way in. However, unconventional thought meant ignoring the building's openings and making one of their own.

Which was where the laser cutting torch came in. In under a minute, Kei cut their way through wall and into the building proper. All three had their weapons drawn, laser pistols all. Heavy, bulky weapons tended to be a detriment in close quarters when dealing with quick and nimble opponents that were nearly the complete opposite of Zeiram.

"Spread out," Yuri said. It would be the quickest way to sweep the building clear of all the intruders and try to save any workers that might have been kept as hostages.

Separating, any illusions of that were quickly dispelled when each of the women came across the various bodies left laying about the complex, all of them apparently having been shot right where they were found. Head shots ensured there were no survivors among those that had been fired upon.

Suddenly the desire to take some of the men alive was quelled in the women. Thinking along the same lines, each came up with the idea that one was all they needed, and even then the survivor didn't need to have all his limbs in order to talk about all he knew.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shots blazed toward the corner Kei had started to walk around. Still, the quick glance she managed to get showed three people, dressed in the same black uniform as the man Kei had killed on the space station and armed with light assault weapons, were approaching cautiously up the corridor in a loose formation. Taking them all at once would be impossible with how spread out they were. She had to lure them closer together.

And then she saw the small black ball roll up the corridor from the enemy's position further up the hall. It paused at the intersection, then rolled into her hallway. A small light at the top began to blink, getting progressively faster with each flash of the green colored light.

"Shit," Kei hissed.

And then the world went white from an explosion.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alexei Farkus, Number 12 for the current mission, waited until the smoke settled before waving his comrades onward. "I love these remote control grenades."

"I could have taken her solo. It was only one chick," Alfonse Hunter, Number 88, assured him.

A woman known to the others as simply as Ginger, aka Number 23, remained silent, attention completely focused on the corridor before them.

Pausing at the intersection, pressed close against the wall, Number 12 waved Number 23 forward. She moved quickly into the corridor, prepared to shoot anything that moved. Numbers 12 and 88 provided cover.

Nothing moved in the smoking remains of the upper section of the corridor. The closest room's door was blown off its hinges, the force of the explosion had been that powerful.

"Any sign of remains?" Number 12 whispered. It was possible the body had been destroyed if the grenade had detonated right on top of their opponent. He had seen it happen before. Maybe they could find some teeth.

Number 88 was about to enter the room with the door blown off when Number 12 whispered "Got something."

The others paused and watched as she picked up a standard blue halter type top in good shape from the middle of the debris. Number 12 nodded his head. "Looks like the top she was wearing when she poked herself around the corner."

"Yeah. She had nice hooters," Number 88 confirmed.

"Pigs," Ginger snapped. It figured they would notice a woman's chest first, even while they were shooting at her. All except Ginger's chest. They never checked it or her out. They all just cringed, and all because she was the unit's top interrogator. Was it her fault she was good at her work and enjoyed it so much? A quiet country girl like her might have thought the others were afraid of her or something.

"That takes care of that," Number 12 started to say, then looked more closely at the top that Number 23 was tossing contemptuously away. "Hey, wait a minute. If she was blown up so badly, why is the top still in one piece?"

"Because I tossed it out there to distract you," Kei said as she sprung from out of the nearby room and shot the nearest man, Number 88, before moving on to Numbers 12 and 23, neither getting a chance to do more than bring their guns up and reflexively fire into the floor as they died. Kei waited a full minute to see if any backup appeared, then finally went into the hall and recovered her top. As she put it back on, she angrily said, "It figures the one guy that thinks I got a nice rack I had to kill. I just don't have any luck."

The redhead continued her search looking for more compliments as well as people to kill.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Yuri ran, trying to catch her breath as the whine of pulse lasers could be heard behind her. It figured she would stumble on a trio of the mysterious raiders and kill them, only to have another trio run into her and open fire. It was pure luck that they had only tagged her laser pistol. Of course, since she hadn't thought to pack another sidearm she was now forced to run scared. She did have another backup weapon, of course, but with the state of caution her attackers were in, it was unlikely she could manage even two of them. And once she used it, she was out of options.

There was a throbbing of pain from Yuri's injured leg. It had been holding up well and was on its way to being fully healed, but the sudden amount of hard running made it ache and she realized she was slowing down. She needed a moment to catch her breath. She hit a corner, than ran down another longer one. Gauging the speed of her pursuers, and that she was running even slower than before, she knew they would reach the hall before she got to the adjoining corridor. Acting in desperation, she ducked into a side room with its door partially open.

A quick look over the chamber showed no one, either alive or dead, in the room. It took only a moment to realize what its purpose was: a recreation area. No weapons to be found there either, since it appeared the folks didn't like playing 'Grenade Golf,' or Russian Roulette during their downtime.

But then Yuri's eyes spotted what was lying on one of the tables. An idea began to form. A very risky idea, but the only chance she saw herself having.

'In one of the side rooms,' Number 18 signaled. Taki Omori knew damn well the intruder they were pursuing couldn't have made it to the next corridor before they had arrived in the hall. Not with the way she was limping. She might have been wounded, though he hadn't seen an injury or any telltale blood on the ground. He was becoming fairly certain she didn't have any additional weapons either, since she had not returned fire at them since the start of the chase. Still, he would rather err on the side of caution when it came to potentially being shot at.

The troopers were cautious and orderly, searching each room one at a time in order, always keeping one eye on the hall should she be further down and try making a break for it. Their caution paid off as, during a search of the third room, Yuri ran out of hers and made for the adjoining corridor.

Number 18 saw her and shouted a warning to the others. Just as he lined her up in his rifle's sights, she flung something white behind her and in his direction. Reflexively triggering a quick shot that missed, he ducked back into the room with the others.

When nothing happened for several moments, two of the men looked back out in the corridor. Number 18 was confused until he spotted the white thing lying midway in the corridor. It was rectangular, and very thin. He had a bad idea of what it was as he signaled his men to follow him. The others kept their eyes focused ahead as Number 18 bent down and picked the object up: the queen of spades from a standard deck of cards.

"Move!" The others did as they were instructed, trying to catch up to Yuri. Taki was pissed as hell. No one made a fool of him and got away with it. No one.

They were surprised to catch up with her in the very next corridor, just as she was about to duck into another adjoining one. Just as they rounded it, she threw another white thing at them. Training took over as they all ducked back again, only to poke their heads around the corner to see that it was indeed another playing card she had thrown, the object not making it three feet from where she had tossed it.

"You're dead, bitch!" Number 18 shouted. Running hard for the next corridor, forcing his men to catch up. Again they rounded the corner, just in time to see Yuri about to throw yet another card at them.

"Last time you make a fool of me!" Number 18 shouted as he aimed at her even as she let the card fly and hit the ground. Taki's first shot hit where she had been standing a moment before, melting part of the wall behind her. He didn't get a second shot as the 'Bloody Card' sliced through his neck, severing an artery. Before his first spray of blood hit the floor, he heard two more cries of pain from behind. The gun fell to the ground as Number 18 went down to his knees and clutched at his neck, blood pouring from between his fingers as though his hands weren't even there.

Yuri walked up to him and grabbed his rifle for herself. "You're right. That was the last time I'll make a fool of you."

She tossed the remaining fifty cards at his body as it slumped to the floor, his lifeblood joining him in a growing pool of crimson at his side.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Number 55? Number 18? Number 12? Someone report in!" Rene shouted into his communication's headset. Everything had gone to hell in under fifteen minutes. How could this have happened? He had the best trained soldiers money could buy. All of them dedicated and loyal. No one would have abandoned their post, and no stupid handful of policemen could have outmaneuvered them. Something else had to have happened, but what?

Now with Numbers 8 and 9 in tow, he headed to the main computer banks, the primary objective of their mission. Killing everyone else in the complex had been secondary. Less than five minutes before, Rene had received confirmation that the team assigned to the room had almost completed destroying the information, but now there was nothing. Not even static. The whole situation cried out that something had happened down there, and Rene wanted to personally make sure that their mission had been accomplished. Retribution from his employers for failure would be... harsh. The mission was that important to them. Cautiously, ever aware of the danger around them, he and his companions made their way to the main computer banks.

Just as Rene was about to give up hope, a call came in from the computer team. "Re...Number 22, we've been attacked. One woman killed 15 and 26 and I think she took out Argus's team as well. But I can confirm with one hundred percent certainty the purge was a success." His voice was quiet, full of a fear Rene had never heard from him before. Okari had always been a good, strong man. "I think she's a troubleshooter. I'm exchanging fire with her, but I doARGH!"

And then there was nothing.

Rene reigned in his emotions. If it was a 3WA troubleshooter, that was bad. However, if it was one, or someone with those same philosophies, he might have a chance. A plan began to form in his mind, the strategy coming together just like it would when playing chess. But he had to act fast. They were on the same floor as the computer center, probably no more than a couple halls away. They had to get there before the troubleshooter left. He ducked into a room where he had personally killed two of the scientists running the testing area. Sure enough, the bodies were just where he had left them. The one nearest to him would do.

Rene waved Numbers 8 and 9 closer. "Here's what we're going to do. You two go on ahead and try to get around the intruder using the front corridor to the main computer lab. I'll take the back way. One way or another she'll be flanked, then we'll catch her in a crossfire."

"How are we going to time it so we'll attack at the same time?" Number 8 asked.

Rene scowled at the question. "Wait thirty seconds. I'll be in position by then. I guarantee it. We'll nail that bitch for sure." He placed his hands on their shoulders, the first show of affection he had ever given either of them. "I'm counting on you. Of all the people in the unit, you're the two best. That's why I had you two stay so close to me."

The pair looked at each other and practically beamed at the approval. Their commander was sparse with praise., though they did agree with his observations. Number 8 said, "No problem, Number 22."

"She's as good as dead," Number 9 agreed.

"Then get moving," Rene said, watching the two depart. Once certain they had gone, he initiated the second part of his plan.

xxxxxxxxxx

Iria surveyed the scene of destruction before her, one she had created. That made another three man team she had taken out. Killing both sets had been no easy task, the men showing an impressive amount of training. Not as much as her, of course. She had learned how to fight using the old school standards, by ending up in real life and death struggles. However, from the way the men had fought, she felt confident they had received such training in similar fashion.

The last team had behaved very oddly. Rather than trying to combat her, two of them had sought to keep her out of the main computer room while their compatriot had done something inside. Unfortunately, by the time she had killed the two guards and entered the room, the man inside had completed whatever it was he was doing and tried to ambush her. He came close to taking her head off with his initial shot, but all that mattered was that he had failed and now his dead soul would join that of his comrades.

Iria was about to leave the room when she heard some sort of rustling come from one of the entrances at the far side of the room. Silently, she crept behind an upturned table for cover, then kept her pistol aimed near the door.

Almost at the very moment she ducked behind her cover two people, dressed in the same outfits as the others, shot out from the doorway and opened fire on her. She snapped off a laser bolt that struck high over the first man, but before she could shoot a second time two crimson bolts of energy lashed out from where they had sprung from. Both shots took them in the back as they fell limply to the ground. Neither body moved as unblinking eyes looked out from both of her fallen foes.

That was a very nice job. Iria looked up, expecting to see Kei or Yuri emerge from the passageway. Instead, a man in his early thirties, completely bald and wearing a white lab coat drenched in blood, staggered into the room, gun in hand. His face was a matching mask of blood, though through it Iria noted that there was an odd glint to his eyes. Sighing, he slumped against a wall, the arm that didn't have a gun hanging limply at his side as though it were broken.

Slowly, almost inaudibly, he got out, "They...killed everyone else. I hid, until I found a gun on a dead body and...are they dead?"

"As dead as a ten day old gravisteds," Iria said. A look of relief seemed to pass over the man's features, and he slumped to the ground, back still braced against the wall. He seemed to be staring off into space. Iria rushed over to the man's side in order to check him out. Given the amount of blood that drenched his clothes, it was a miracle he could have walked at all, let alone shot the two killers in the back.

Iria placed her gun on the ground and went to open his lab jacket. It was then she noticed that, in spite of the blood adorning the garment, there was no corresponding wound inside.

The barrel of a gun was jammed under her chin. The uncomprehending eyes of the 'scientist' now fully aware and shining at her. It was then she remembered that the other two teams had three members in them as well.

Rene smiled at his own genius. The stupid fool, allowing her compassion to override common sense and caution. However, it was ungracious of him to criticize her; she had been outmatched from the beginning. It was a pity he had to shoot two of his own people in the back to lower the woman's guard, but he was a master of chess, and knew the necessity of sacrificing pawns in order to win the game.

"Checkmate," Rene bragged as he tightened his grip on the trigger.

Unwilling to be intimidated, Iria stared right into the man's eyes without the slightest bit of fear. Maybe it was the end, but she was damned if she would give him the satisfaction of being afraid of him. The bounty hunter saw the twinkle in his eyes as she felt him tighten his grip on the gun.

And then his head exploded like a melon hit with a sledgehammer.

Blood splattered over Iria's armor as the gun fell away from her chin. She stood up, looking in the direction that the shot had come from. Once again she owed her life to Kei, or maybe it was Yuri this time. It was as she rose to her full height that she saw exactly who her savior truly was.

"YOU?!"

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Kei heard Iria's scream from the room up ahead, unable to determine if it was from surprise, rage, or pain. She ran as fast as she could, unmindful of the potential danger as she charged into the room, ready to defend Iria to the death. The scene before the redhead, however, left her a bit confused.

Inside, Kei bore witness to what was possibly the fiercest look of rage she had ever seen on Iria. The bounty hunter was pointing her gun in the direction of a man standing across from her, about four meters away. He was tall, standing head and shoulders over the much smaller woman. His frame was muscular and the style of his clothing made it readily apparent that he was in excellent physical condition, despite obviously being at least forty. His black hair held a touch of gray at the temples and was tied back in a ponytail that traveled down just below his neck. It touched the back of the very stylish white top and blue vest he was wearing. Kei noted that the pair of matching white pants molded to his posterior perfectly. The outfit was finished off with a pair of mid-thigh black boots that were so immaculate that the room's light reflected off their mirrorlike finish. Slung across his back was a heavy laser rifle that looked like it weighed at least fifty pounds, though he was bearing it as though it was no heavier than a cloak. His hands were raised, almost as though he were being held up by Iria. Though he might have appeared helpless, there was no look of fear in his eyes, just an amusement that was mirrored in his smile. Kei thought that his appearance, combined with that whiplash grin, made him easily one of the most handsome men she had ever laid eyes upon.

"What's going on here?" Kei tried maintaining an awareness of her surroundings to prevent anyone from sneaking up on them, but it was difficult with someone so handsome standing before her, even if it did seem as though Iria was on the verge of blowing him away.

Iria kept her gun trained on the man, not allowing it to waver in the slightest. Through gritted teeth, she was barely able to spit out, "Kei, I want to introduce you to the biggest waste of flesh that has ever existed. The one creature in the galaxy that ranks only behind Zeiram as the lowest form of organism around, and he's a real close second. This pustule that stands before you is named Eugene Lance Killgore."

Killgore appeared offended at the comparison, though the smile never left his features. "Hey there, Sunshine, is that any way to properly introduce your husband?"

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Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Got distracted with writing low grade porn and real life business around these holidays. Only have a single one shot idea floating around in my head that might prevent me from getting the next chapter out sooner.

BTW: No one said 'Clydesdales' is a reference to horses. Of course, it doesn't say it's not either.

"If you start off by listing all the reasons you should fall in love with someone, you don't love them. If you start off by listing all the reasons you shouldn't fall in love with them, then you already have."

-Alexander Dupres


	6. Chapter 6

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot

Chapter 6

A Dirty Pair, Iria: Zeiram the animation crossover.

Any and all CC appreciated. You can contact me at:

Standard Disclaimer:

I disclaim I own any of the Dirty Pair characters or the folks from Iria: Zeiram, the Animation

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"Husband?" The word was barely able to slip past Kei's lips.

In answer to the question, Killgore puffed up his chest. "That's right. I'm Iria's-"

"EX-HUSBAND, YOU ASSHOLE!" The gun was now quivering in her hand. "We've been divorced for over sixteen years!"

Killgore shrugged with an obvious lack of concern over Iria's distress. "Technicalities, Sunshine."

Standing off to the side, Kei was still trying to process the information. Having little luck with the effort, she turned to give Iria a wide-eyed look. "You were married, and you didn't tell me?"

That question helped the bounty hunter regain a better control over her emotions. "It's not exactly something I'm proud of. Believe me, I try everything I can to forget about it. Most of the time I'm pretty successful, too."

"But it's still a fact," Killgore assured her. "No matter what mistakes we might have made, we were husband and wife, Sunshine."

"Stop calling me that!" Iria snapped as she lowered her gun.

Killgore appeared offended at the order. "But it's such a cute nickname. You never used to complain about it. It just... suited you somehow, the way you looked so radiant in the afterglow of our lovemaking. Just like a ray of sunshine."

"Believe me, every day's a rainy day when you're around." Iria holstered her weapon, but that seemed to be the only concession she made in allowing his presence so near to her own. She continued making her feelings clear as her gaze practically bored holes through him. But then, suddenly and inexplicably, she smiled. Both Kei and Killgore tensed up at the unexpected, and unwarranted, change in attitude.

Grinning even more broadly, Iria asked in honeyed tones, "So, what are you doing here, Lance?"

Kei picked up on how she emphasized the last word. Uncertain of what to make of it, she remained silent as a pained expression grew on Killgore's features.

"Hey now, Iria. There's no need to be like that," the man insisted.

"Like what?" Kei asked, missing whatever was now passing between the former spouses.

"Yes. Like what, Lance?" Iria teased.

Killgore's composure finally broke, though only by a very slight degree. "Damn it, woman! You know I hate that name."

That caused Kei to give Killgore a baffled look. "Why? Isn't that your name?"

Seeming to fully notice Kei for the first time, Killgore turned and unleashed a smile upon her that actually made her heart beat slightly faster. It was the first time she reacted that way to a man's attention in what felt like an eternity. "It is, but I prefer being called Eugene."

That shook Kei out of her stupor. "Why? Lance sounds much better than Eugene." A lot better. She always pictured 'Eugene's as nerdy eggheads that got high marks in school and ruined the grading curve for everyone else, like her. Actually, almost everyone else tended to ruin the grading curve for her. But those were the worst of the lot.

The opinion made Killgore shake his head vigorously. "No way. It makes me sound like some pathetic holo action hero or something. I only let other people call me Killgore for business reasons, since the name seems to work well in attracting potential clients. Natural advertising, in a way, I guess." He shrugged at the idea.

Their discussion of the merits of Killgore's name was interrupted as eight men burst into the room from the same doorway the large man had entered. They carried a diversity of powerful weapons that was matched only by the variety of their outfits, ranging from neutral grays and browns, to a bright yellow that looked more appropriate on a banana than a human being. As they entered, they reacted with well-trained precision and aimed their weapons at Kei and Iria. The redhead cursed her inattention and brought her gun up to point at the newcomers. Iria did the same.

"Wait!" Killgore shouted at the men, who instantly responded to his command. "These are allies. They've already infiltrated the target area and have begun a mop up operation." He turned to Iria and Kei. "Do you have any other comrades in the building?"

Deciding Iria's anger probably made her a poor representative for dealing with all of these newcomers, Kei decided to act as spokeswoman. "Just one. Her name's Yuri. She's a troubleshooter like me. She's about my height, has black hair, and wears the same kind of outfit that I have." Kei then quickly added. "She's not as attractive or in as good a shape as me though."

Killgore gave her a surprisingly charming smile as he looked her over, his eyes lingering over certain areas for an extra moment. "Now that, I find very easy to believe."

A low growl issued from Iria. Kei saw that the muscles in her face were twitching madly, and she was fingering the butt of her holstered pistol again.

The growl was joined by a snort of derision from one of the newcomers. Of all the men in the room, his outfit was easily the most fashionable, even more tasteful then Killgore's. It was immaculate, mostly white with deep red along the center of the torso and shoulders, traveling down the front of the legs and reaching towards stylish black boots. The footwear was possibly the same brand as Killgore's though a great deal smaller, as though the man had very dainty feet. He was about even height with Kei and slender, with flaxen brown hair that traveled down his back in a wave that made Kei react in envy. The troubleshooter noted that he too was handsome, though in a very different manner from Killgore. Where the big man was all mass and virility, the newcomer was lean and trim, almost effeminate, though not in an unattractive way.

Gracefully, he almost seemed to flow as he moved next to Killgore and gave Kei a firm visual examination as well. Unlike Iria's ex-husband, he seemed very unimpressed. The redhead decided that in spite of how attractive he was, she didn't care much for him. Besides, bishonen guys were always a turnoff for her. She wanted a real man with meat on his bones that knew how to have a good time, not those frail pretty boys Yuri seemed to prefer.

"I'll notify the other men so they don't accidentally shoot the little tart," the man said, sounding as though he couldn't care less if they did empty a few blasts into her. "I trust you'll do the same?" he asked Kei.

Giving a growl that was almost as angry as Iria's had been earlier, Kei reached up to her earring, the communications device that she shared with Yuri. She gave her partner a quick summary of what had happened and what to expect.

Once that was taken care of, Killgore gave his partner a disappointing look. "See here, Cross. These are our friends. Don't go insulting them."

Cross gave Killgore an exasperated look that lasted all of a moment. Turning, he bowed deeply before each woman. "I apologize for my behavior. I reacted reflexively when I saw my commander in danger." His words might have said one thing, but the manner in which he said them indicated another.

As he came up from his bow, Kei noticed something odd about him. In the space below his right eye and next to his nose were what she thought at first were moles, but upon closer inspection proved to be a trio of tiny tattoos. Each one resembled a teardrop. The first was scarlet. The second purple. And the third black.

"You're a Samisdat," Kei said softly as she reacted automatically to the perception that her life was in danger. As a member of the 3WA she was familiar with the Samisdat Assassins reputations, what little there was. Details were sketchy, outside that they were reputed to be among the top assassins in the galaxy, taking a minimum of two million credits for a hit, and having no openly acknowledged failures to date. And that each member bore a trio of teardrop tattoos under the right eye in the order of scarlet, purple and black. No one knew where they were headquartered, how many there were, how they were recruited, who led them, or any other meaningful information. All that truly existed of them were a host of wild, vague rumors, none of which were ever proven true.

Even employing them was mysterious. Rumor had it if someone wanted to hire a Samisdat, they needed to let word filter through the inter-galactic underworld. The one making the request would be approached if the assassins were interested in the contract. Kei knew of at least a dozen attempts by the 3WA to lure one into a trap, but none of them had come close to succeeding.

It was true that people with such tattoos had been incarcerated by law enforcement agencies across the galaxy, none of them had ever been successfully connected with the Samisdat, even upon those occasions where the less scrupulous agencies used drugs, mind probes, or torture to gain a confession. The few that 'confessed' were quickly proven as not being part of the Samisdat, usually by the fact they held normal jobs or were far too inexperienced and sloppy to be a professional assassin.

Cross laughed at the accusation. "Don't be silly. The Samisdat are a myth. Like the Murder Cabal the Kai Pirates are reputed to possess. As a 3WA troubleshooter, I would think you'd know better than to believe in tales of bogeymen."

"How long have you had those tattoos?" Kei asked.

Cross fingered them, as though to remind himself they were there. "I got them when I was young. I don't even remember exactly. I have several others as well, though they're in places I'm afraid you'll never see, Dearie."

That confirmed it for Kei. Anyone not of the Samisdat getting the tattoo most likely would have bragged about it, but this man dismissed it casually in afterthought, as though it were a matter of no consequence. There was also the way he carried himself, seeming at ease, yet giving out an aura of that hinted at potential violence. Only Kei's trained eyes picked up on the subtle signs that indicated he was ready for action.

"You're being paranoid," Killgore assured Kei, trying to defuse the situation. "I could never afford to pay Cross a million credits for each person he's killed. I'd have to own a major corporation instead of working for one."

Iria looked at Killgore. "You were hired by YSC?"

"Surely you didn't think this was a recreational visit?" Killgore smiled smoothly at his ex-wife the entire time.

The response seemed to stoke the flames of Iria's anger almost as high as before. "No. You never did anything for recreation. It was always professional to you."

Again Killgore seemed hurt by the accusation. "Aw, come on. You're being unfair here. I always did fun things with you. I think you're having a bad case of rewriting history."

"The hell I am, you sleazy, rotten, bucket of sh-"

"Ahem!" Cross interrupted, breaking up pleasant exchange of ideas between the duo. Once he had their attention, he addressed Killgore. "As much as I'm sure you'd like to reminisce about 'the good old days', we do have a mission to accomplish first."

"Of course." Killgore snapped his fingers. In response, two members of the squad, one of them bearing a portable computer, moved quickly forward and began hooking it up to the main computer in the room.

"Wait a second!" Iria protested. "This is a crime scene that is under the jurisdiction of the 3WA. You can't just barge in and take it over."

"Ah, she is right," Kei said, though reluctantly. She found herself not wanting to do anything to upset the handsome fellow, even if he was Iria's ex-husband.

"True, but since this is a privately owned YSC facility, and as duly authorized agents of YSC, we are entitled to conduct our own investigation concurrent with yours. Unless there is an outstanding reason as to why we shouldn't be present."

"How about the fact you're a backstabbing, untrustworthy asshole?" Iria offered.

"That's an opinion, and one you can't prove," Killgore countered. He turned to Kei. "Of course we'll be more than happy to share all of our discoveries with you. And it does look like we're better equipped to retrieve and analyze the information than you are right now."

Kei saw Iria shake her head ferociously. Kei was about to say no when Killgore unleashed that devastating smile again. "Sure, why not?"

Kei noticed Iria's scowl increase by a factor of five. That really wasn't fair. How could Kei say no to such a handsome... or rather how could she refuse a request by an official agent of YSC who was doing nothing to hamper their investigation, and actually was helping it along quite nicely? It would have been unprofessional, and Iria's perceptions were probably being clouded by the relationship she had once had with Killgore. And there was still the outstanding question as to how Iria had let such a handsome guy go in the first place?

Kei was still deliberating that question when Yuri entered the room to rendezvous with her companions, satisfied Killgore's men had the rest of the mop up well in hand. "Hey, guys. Are you two all right? I had a close... why, hello there." Yuri gave a saccharine sweet smile as her eyes fell upon Killgore for the first time.

"Hello yourself," the tall man said. "I'm Eugene Killgore."

"My ex-husband," Iria chimed in before he claimed they were still married again.

"How did you let this one get away"? Yuri almost cooed.

"I was thinking the same thing," Kei blurted out.

"Once you get to know him, it's surprisingly easy," Iria assured Yuri while shooting yet another disapproving glare towards Kei.

Suddenly feeling annoyed at her partner's behavior, and the fact Yuri was not getting glared at, Kei spoke up. "Get a hold of yourself, Yuri. We are in the middle of an investigation."

"But luckily we've been hired by YSC to conduct an investigation into this matter as well and would be more than happy to give you any assistance," Killgore added, not taking his eyes off Yuri.

"But you can get rid of him for getting in our way," Iria reminded her.

"Oh, I think Mr. Killgore could be very useful in this investigation," the dark-haired troubleshooter assured her.

The not so subtle hint in that statement made both Iria and Cross roll their eyes. It made Kei irritated as well, largely in part because she hadn't thought of it first. Yuri was rapidly becoming dangerous by so brazenly hitting on guys that she had just met, even if it was one as handsome as Killgore.

Cross's head jerked slightly as he closed his eyes and seemed to allow his attention to drift. A moment later, he said, "Ramses indicates the facility is one hundred percent under our control again. The remaining six intruders have been liquidated."

"No prisoners?" Kei asked, marking that Cross evidently had at least some cybernetic additions to his person, and given his apparent choice of careers, it would probably be safe to assume he had more than just a transmitter surgically implanted in his auditory canal. Though due to his slender form, it was obvious none of the additions would be heavy weapons. Still, professional assassins tended to be known for precision, not ungodly firepower. Such an attitude was almost an anathema to Kei's sensibilities. One could never have too much firepower.

"The report indicated they fought to the death. A pity. Having one to interrogate would have proven useful," Cross informed them.

Kei noted that he sounded disappointed at the loss, though it seemed more at the lack of survivors rather than not being able to conduct an interrogation. She also noted that Killgore's butt looked really nice as she moved around slightly to get a better view of it.

One of the men checking the master computer announced, "It's been wiped completely clean, Major."

"Major?" Iria asked. "Someone was stupid enough to let you in charge of someone else?"

"My official rank given to me when I served with the Angorlon Armed Forces during the Bolshen Revolution five years ago," Killgore explained with pride.

"Heard that was nasty business," Kei whistled through her teeth. Official death toll was placed at a billion, but investigations implied that it was closer to five.

"It was," Killgore assured her. "Paid well, though."

"Good pay was always a replacement for what few morals you might have possessed," Iria said acidly.

As fascinating as Killgore was to Yuri, she returned her attention to the business at hand. She walked over to the man using the computer. "Let me check." She leaned well forward, allowing the man a good look at her bust. Years of training had taught Yuri that there were ways other than bribes to secure a man's cooperation with a minimum of fuss.

Despite the obvious interest he had in the sight before him, the man waited until he received a nod from Killgore. He then turned the computer over to Yuri. Her hands tapped across the keypad quickly. "Yep. It's a goner all right. They used some powerful wipers too. No chance of retrieving anything."

Iria looked to the miniature computer on her wrist. "Think it's worth a try?"

"Unlikely," Bob admitted. "If both of them say it's gutted, I doubt there's anything I can do. I do have limits, you know."

Bob's voice caught Killgore's attention. "So you're still functioning, eh Chips?"

"Drop dead," Bob retorted.

Kei heard more anger in that voice than she could ever remember. Usually with people that irritated him, Bob would make at least a joke or some caustic remark about them. It was a surprise that he would be so blunt with someone, even Iria's ex-husband.

"Chips?" Yuri asked.

"Short for Microchips," Killgore explained in a voice that held almost as much affection for Bob as the computer intelligence carried for him. "As useful as ole' Chips was, I'm surprised he hasn't been hit with a fatal virus, given how outdated he is."

"I'll still be slicing through encryptions when the only crypt in your life is the one you're rotting in," Bob swore.

For the first time since meeting him, Kei saw Killgore's temper start to flare. Almost as quickly the moment passed and he became apologetic. "Let's try to get along here. After all, we're working together."

"Not for one second longer than we have to," Iria said.

"So what do we have?" Kei finally asked.

At that point Cross spoke up, "From all appearances, these men were sent to destroy this facility, kill all personnel, and purge the central database of all its information. They have nothing on their person to imply they were keeping the information for themselves, nor did they transmit anything as we would have picked up it up while we were on our way down to the planet. Evidence indicates they were professionally trained, quick, efficient, and knew exactly what they wanted and where it was. My offhand guess is that this was an SD mission with detailed inside information, and that it was accomplished. No bonus this time, Major."

"Damn!" Killgore swore. "Any way of knowing who they were?"

Cross considered that. "I'm sure our new 'partners' could try to backtrack the weapons registration and identities of these assailants using their 3WA resources. But my gut instinct tells me the weapons will have been registered as being 'lost' from wherever they originated from, if they show up at all, and that these people have no connection to one another or whomever they work for, assuming they show up either. They smell like a black ops outfit. I could be wrong, but..." he let the implication trail off.

"Shit!" Iria suddenly cursed. She looked to Kei and Yuri. "If he didn't hit here, like we thought he was going to, then he must have hit Baltron. We have to get there right away!"

"We'll be too late," Yuri reminded her.

"But if there was an incident, the authorities should have been ready to handle it with the warning we sent," Kei reminded the duo. "We might not be too late."

"That's not a bad idea," Killgore admitted. "Why don't we join forces to stop him?"

Iria shot him a contemptuous glance. "You don't even know what we're talking about, you worthless piece of -"

"Zeiram," Killgore said, giving his ex-wife a flat stare.

In an instant, Iria's entire posture changed from that of irritation to someone ready to fight. "How do you know about Zeiram?"

"Come on, you're smarter than this. You don't think for one second that my showing up here is a coincidence, do you, Sunshine?"

Iria tensed up further. Kei placed a hand on her shoulder. The movement caused Iria to nearly jump, unaware of just how tightly she had been wound.

"What do you know about Zeiram?" Cool professionalism had returned to Yuri. What had been a simple investigation had not turned into an unexpected, and potentially dangerous, situation.

The sudden change in the women's body language did not go unnoticed by the other men, professional mercenaries all. They tensed up as the potential for violence went from next to nothing to imminent. Everyone, that was, save for Cross, who seemed as relaxed as ever.

Sensing the breakdown between the two groups, Killgore took it upon himself to calm things down. "Why don't we make a deal? You show me yours, and I'll show you mine." Though he was still speaking as amicably as before, the trio of women could sense the firm resolve in his statement. The flirting was over, at least for the moment.

"As 3WA agents, we could just arrest you for impending an investigation," Yuri informed him.

"And I could contend it was a guess on my part since I know Iria's history with Zeiram and that was the only thing that could make her this agitated," Killgore countered. "And in the meantime, Zeiram, should my guess have been correct, would be free to rampage about and cause even more destruction across this part of the galaxy. No one wants that, now do we?"

"No," Kei admitted. They had worked with people on investigations before, and Killgore and his crew seemed to know how to handle themselves, even if they were still a largely unknown variable.

"Pooling our resources might not be a bad idea," Yuri seconded. They desperately needed more information, and the additional firepower would not hurt since, as it now stood, they could not get 3WA reinforcements. Still, she would keep an eye on these unknowns. It was very likely there was more to them that met the eye. All of her investigative instincts cried out that one important fact.

It was Iria who expressed the only dissenting opinion. "Screw him. We don't need whatever he thinks he's got. Let's get the hell out of here." Satisfied at a decision having been made, Iria started to leave.

"Now hold on just a minute!" The words were authoritative and would accept no arguments. Yuri had finally had enough of Iria trying to run things. The benefits of an alliance were easy to see, and it wasn't as though they currently had much information to trade. Killgore would learn next to nothing that he probably did not already know if he really was working for YSC. And it was not as though she and Kei were rookies that would fall into a trap. Killgore might have been a hunk, but it took more than a handsome face to get either one of them to drop their guard. She would be ready for any betrayals.

Iria stopped as she could scarcely believe what she was hearing. "He's a lying piece of shit. Even if he knows something, it's not worth risking this bastard stabbing us in the back. We're better off without him. Now let's go." Iria began to head out again.

"No."

Iria stopped in her tracks. Had the order come from Yuri, she would have spun in anger and restated her case. But the only feeling her ward's refusal brought up was betrayal. "Kei?"

The look of disappointment Iria shot hurt Kei, but she firmed up her own resolve. "Yuri's right. We can use his information, and given Zeiram's rate of destruction, he has to be stopped quickly before he hits somewhere else. You can't let personal feelings for Major Killgore get in the way of a sound decision."

"I know him," Iria protested. "I'm telling you he can't be trusted."

"I just saved your life," Killgore reminded her.

"I didn't ask you to!"

"That settles it," Yuri announced. She had enough of Iria's irresponsible attitude. It was painfully obvious the bounty hunter would never willingly agree to work with Killgore, even if he held the cure for the intergalactic plague. She had completely lost any objectivity in the matter. It would fall to Yuri and Kei to hammer out the details of their alliance.

The raven-haired woman turned to the taller man. "We'll share our information with you. If yours turns out to be useful, and we're convinced you won't get in our way, we'll figure out some kind of compromise to work together for at least a while."

"You're an idiot!" Iria shouted.

"She's right," Kei insisted to Iria, beating Yuri to the sharp-tongued retort that was on her lips.

"And you're being an idiot too."

Seeing how events were unfolding, Bob finally decided to give his opinion. "As much as I despise Lance, and am dubious about what he has to offer, we should at least hear him out. Getting Zeiram should take precedence over personal issues."

"You traitor!" Iria spat at her wrist computer. In many ways Bob's stance was the worst of the lot. At least the bounty hunter could use their sixteen year plus separation as a reason for Kei's disagreement, but Bob had been with her the majority of her life, through the best and worst of times he was always there. Especially during her marriage. He knew what Killgore had done. He should have been the last one to take his side.

The bounty hunter looked away from Bob's terminal to see all eyes turned towards her: the majority of Killgore's men regarding her like a rabid dog, Cross with disdain, Killgore with a touch of sadness, Yuri with just a slight hint of a smug grin, and Kei with one of expectation.

"To hell with all of you! I don't need you! I don't need anyone!" Burning with rage, Iria tore the wrist computer from her arm, ripping the strap with an audible tear as she hurled it to the ground. She stormed off, heading out of the room and out of sight as quickly as she could.

All eyes followed Iria until she left. Kei was the first to react by hurrying through the doorway after her. "I'll calm her down and make sure she doesn't do anything rash." She rushed out in effort to catch up to her one-time mentor.

"Make sure none of the men accidentally shoot her," Killgore told Cross as the redhead left the room.

Cross gave him a quizzical glance. "Oh? Which 'one' are you referring to?"

Killgore's brows furrowed. "Actually, I meant both of them."

"Yes, so I assumed. But you had one in mind when you gave the order."

"Did I?" Killgore seemed to consider that. "Well now, why don't you and the boys bet on it? Once our temporary agreement with the ladies is over, I'll let you know who it was."

Obeying his orders, Cross gave off an exasperated sigh that held the tired familiarity of having been delivered far too many times in the presence of his commander.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Iria, wait up!" Kei shouted as she kept trying to close the distance. Things were looking bad. Very bad. Iria had moved so quickly that she had already made her way outside the building and was heading to an open area surrounding the building. The local law enforcement personnel had finally summoned enough courage, and enough armored vehicles, to approach the building again. However, upon seeing Iria and Kei leave the structure they went back into standby mode.

Shouting at the top of her lungs, Kei shouted to the men, "It's okay! The building's clear of all the bad guys! We're done in there! You can go in now!" And there hadn't even been any of the collateral damage she and Yuri were usually responsible for. A very good mission, for a change. Except they hadn't nailed their real target, Zeiram. And now Iria was angry as hell at her. Kei was going to have to move quickly to patch up the damage done to their rekindled relationship, or it might be another eighteen years until she saw Iria again.

Finally, Iria stopped in the middle of the largest open space, looking at the sky expectantly. It only took a moment for Kei to see why as the small outline of a ship appeared from the direction of the spaceport.

Kei caught up to Iria. Rather than confronting her face-to-face, she remained directly behind several feet back, choosing to speak to her the back of her head and allowing the bounty hunter the option of turning to talk to her, "Iria, you can't do this."

Refusing to meet her gaze, Iria stated flatly, "I've worked on my own for close to fifteen years now. I'll do just fine without you."

Every word hurt Kei worse than the thousand of curses others had used against her. "Zeiram's dangerous. You can't tackle him alone. Hell, it's going to be tough enough for the three of us to handle him as it is."

"I killed him on my own once before." There wasn't the slightest hint of doubt in Iria's voice as to what course she was going to take.

"And he nearly killed you the last time you fought him, and that was after Yuri and me got our butts kicked." Kei was beginning to panic. The Creeper V was drawing nearer, easily identifiable now. Once Iria got on board, it would all be over.

"We cannot team up with that... man!" Iria spat.

Kei decided to try a different approach. "Look, I know he's your ex-husband and you've got a lot of hard feelings about him."

"I wish he was dead!"

Kei blanched slightly at the viciousness Iria was displaying. This was even worse than the hatred she usually reserved for Zeiram. "Well, it's normal for there to be a lot of animosity in these situations. But take a step back and look at what's going on. Our luck gunning for Zeiram is absolute zero. Lots of people are dying. We aren't getting any closer to stopping him, and it might already be too late to help the people at Baltron. We haven't been able to cut it alone. I think we can trust him enough use his help to stop Zeiram. Once that's done, you'll never have to see him again."

"You don't understand what sort of a person he is. He can't be trusted."

The ship was starting to land, the roar of the engines making it difficult to hear much of anything. Kei had to shout to be heard. "What did he do, cheat on you? Treat you like an object instead of his wife? Kill someone close to you?"

"Yes!" Iria spat, the rage as great as anything she had seen on anyone in her life.

That struck Kei speechless. The last had been an offhand comment. She hadn't been serious. And yet, it seemed that the wound of whoever had died was still raw and fresh with the bounty hunter, as though it had happened hours before instead of over a decade ago.

"How did it happen?"

The question made Iria's face contort, her anger abating ever so slightly. "The details aren't important."

Now Kei knew she was hiding something. There was little doubt Iria was telling the truth about Killgore killing whoever it was she had been referring to, at least from her perception, but the details were probably very important. She'd have to grill Bob about it later. From the earlier exchange it was obvious there was little love lost between the mercenary and the human-turned-computer intelligence as well, but it wasn't the out of control anger Iria displayed. And Killgore didn't seem to hold the same regard for his ex-wife that she felt for him, otherwise why would he have saved her from certain death? There was a lot more information Kei needed, but it would have to wait. Keeping Iria close by was more important. Both for the mission and for Kei personally.

The engines died off as the ship set gently upon the ground. The landing ramp began to deploy. There was no time left. Deciding to risk everything, Kei said in an unwavering tone, "Me and Yuri are going to team up with Killgore; it's the best course of action to take. But I would think that if you really believe he's as untrustworthy as you say, you'd want to hang around to watch our... my, back."

The landing ramp touched the ground softly, barely making a noise. Iria didn't answer, didn't even cast a backward glance at Kei as she began walking up the ramp, slowly but with a steady pace.

Kei could feel the tears behind her eyes, but she forced them to remain where they were, unshed. Iria was a grown woman. She could take care of herself and, despite her emotional state, might have known what was best for her. Besides, maybe it was some form of justice that Iria should leave Kei alone, similar to how Kei had abandoned her so many years ago.

"I won't let him take away someone important to me again." Finally Iria turned around to look at Kei. More firmly, she stated, "I'll be waiting for you up in orbit. I want to be there when he talks to you. I've gotten better at telling when he's lying. And keep your guns handy. Be ready for anything. Believe me, the moment he thinks you're a liability, he'll drop you faster than you can blink."

Kei felt her mouth quivering, but still she refused to cry. She was thirty-three years old. She was well beyond that sort of childish blubbering. If she could withstand having her both lungs punctured without crying, she could handle Iria's decision to remain with her.

'Thank you." It was all Kei could manage. It was all she needed to say.

Iria had had her fill of words as well as she boarded the ship alone and in silence.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I can't believe there was no word of an attack on Baltron," Kei told her partner as they moved through the linking tube and boarded Killgore's ship, the 'Destiny'. It was a large spaceship, half again the size of the Lovely Angel and very oval in shape. Two long tubes ran along the bottom, not quite the length of the ship, attached by several pylons each. They were a couple of additional engines that could increase the speed of the Destiny by three times should the need arise, though Kei was fairly certain that would only apply to deep space. She was certain they would break off in a planet's gravity. Having to take transports down to the surface of the planet would be a hassle, but sometimes that was the price one paid for additional speed.

The surface itself was quite smooth, with only a giant antenna array on the top that broke the symmetry of the vehicle. That seemed a bit peculiar, as it was much larger than should have been needed on a mercenary ship that was outfitted for combat. Perhaps on a deep space information vessel or a luxury freighter that could accommodate a thousand passengers it would have been appropriate, but on the Destiny it was completely out of place.

The armor of the ship didn't look that impressive, and Kei couldn't see much more than a couple of external missile batteries and a handful of medium range laser canons. She'd give the Lovely Angel the clear edge in one-on-one space combat, at least if the Angel hadn't had most of it's armor destroyed and weapons depleted from the last mission they had been on. Not that she thought that would ever happen, Iria's protests not withstanding. Still, it always paid to evaluate a potential enemy's firepower.

"Maybe we guessed wrong about his next target, or maybe whoever was controlling him realized he was being obvious about where he was going to strike next and went for somewhere else." Yuri had made a similar assessment to Kei's about their tentative allies ship.

"Maybe he went crazy, destroyed the spaceship, and is floating out in the middle of nowhere destined to harm no one ever again." Kei tried to sound hopeful, but didn't believe they'd be so lucky for an instant. They were heading for Baltron at the moment, the three ships linked physically to one another with the Destiny heading the course. It made the most sense since it was the largest and had the most people. And that was where the trio of women had agreed to meet Killgore and his people.

"We're keeping an ear out for any trouble. Muhgi will let us know if he hears anything." Yuri paused for a moment, then decided to go for broke. "Do you think Iria's calmed down at all?" Kei had told her of the conversation on the planet and Iria's final relenting to at least hear what Killgore had to say. The bounty hunter had boarded Destiny first from the linking conduit that connected Creeper V on the opposite side of the ship.

The airlock to the Destiny opened and Kei and Yuri found two escorts waiting for them.

"Still living people on the ship. I'd have to give that a big affirmative," Kei said with a smile.

"What?" The smaller of the escorts asked.

"Nevermind," Yuri said hastily as they boarded. The larger of the two men was an above average looking fellow, and there was no mistaking the leering look he gave Yuri, but he wasn't anywhere near as handsome as Killgore.

The raven-haired troubleshooter felt a smile spread across her face as she thought of the suave mercenary. Definitely one handsome guy, and certainly mature. A pity he might be a complete dirt bag if Iria was telling the truth. Still, Yuri didn't care much for the bounty hunter when it came right down to it, and Iria's judgment was certainly colored by the ruins of a broken marriage. On the other hand, Killgore obviously carried no such resentment, and had gone out of his way to save a woman that would have been happy to place his life in jeopardy. Yuri wasn't sure what Killgore might have seen in Iria that would have led him to marry her in the first place. No, she was going to keep an eye open but reserve judgment on Killgore until she got to know him better.

Kei held a mixture of the two feelings. Her head trusted Iria's judgment, but her heart, or more properly her lust, made her want to think Killgore wasn't all that bad. Certainly Iria was painting a worse picture than what was really there, and at least over a decade had passed since the two were married, Kei was sure of that for some reason. That was more than enough time for any leopard to change its stripes, she told herself. And people tended to learn from their past mistakes, so why couldn't Killgore have learned from his?

What Kei really needed was a chance to speak to someone that was at least more impartial than Iria. Right after meeting with Killgore, she would get together with Bob and grill him on exactly what had transpired all those years ago.

The two escorts explained that Killgore was already waiting for them in his 'War Room' and they would take the duo there directly. As they made their way deeper into the ship, Yuri noted that Kei had dropped behind her slightly and struck up a quiet conversation with the shorter of their escort. Eavesdropping, she heard Kei asking subtle (for her) questions of the escort about Killgore and his crew. The shorter one remained pleasantly tight-lipped about things. Yuri attempted to do the same with her the man that walked alongside her, but he was more rude in rebuffing her attempts at seductive interrogation, all the while continuing to ogle her. After a few questions, she decided his leer was too lascivious to be enjoyed, and became silent. She hoped they would arrive at their destination soon.

They did, and both of the Dirty Pair were surprised at what they saw. As they entered the room there were assailed with a number of sounds and images that were more appropriate in the middle of a command center for an army. A large array of computer banks, holographic projectors, and long range transmitters were jammed into almost every space there was in the room. Most of it was automated or could be controlled through the bridge of the ship, but it still looked impressive.

The only real space in the room was towards the center. There was one larger holographic projector in the middle and several rising levels of benches that circled around it. There was also just the slightest bit of room for someone to walk around the area to speak to others. The whole room gave the effect that a horde of information was right at their fingertips. Very impressive indeed.

Kei and Yuri seemed to be the last ones to arrive. Three of Killgore's men and Cross were already seated in a tight cluster near Killgore. Iria sat by herself to one side. After a moment's internal debate, Kei sat next to her. Yuri followed without comment.

"Where did you get this?" Kei asked Killgore, indicating the room with a sweeping gesture.

The mercenary beamed proudly around the room. "During the Farscots Police Action, we were hired and sent out to 'neutralize' a prototype of a field operations center from the spacedock it was being completed at before it could be sent into the field. Well, we neutralized it, just like we were ordered to."

"You stole it," Iria stated flatly.

"We completed the mission within its parameters."

"And the Farscots were quite content to let you walk off with this valuable piece of equipment which they no doubt could have used themselves?"

"We completed the mission that they sent us out for. Since they didn't detail what they wanted done with the craft, I took it upon myself to interpret those orders in a manner I saw fit."

"Like I said, you stole it," Iria repeated.

One of the men took exception to that. He stood up, all six feet and three inches of him, and approached the seated woman. "I don't like your tone, bitch."

Iria remained where she was, looking up at him in distaste. "I'm surprised. If you're stupid enough to follow his orders, I assumed my insults would go right over your head."

In response, the man drew back his fist and aimed for Iria's unprotected head. The bounty hunter remained sitting there impassively. Just as he was about to strike, Iria brought her left arm up and deflected the blow upward and well above her head. As she did that, with her free hand she brought out a small metal cylinder that extended just beyond the grip of the fist it was in. With a jerk of the wrist, the cylinder extended to become a one foot piece of metal with a flat tip. She drove the flat end into the large man's gut with an audible thud, winding him instantly and doubling him over. Iria finished up by shoving him back in the direction he had come from with her free hand, then shortening the cylinder and putting it back in its place on her weapons belt. The man stumbled several feet before falling to his knees in a wheezing heap.

During the entire exchange, Iria had not moved from her seat. Instead, she returned to the exact same posture she had before being attacked and continued to scowl at Killgore.

The exchange had made Kei and Yuri tense up as well. Not because of the buffoon that had lunged at Iria, they knew she could handle him with minimal fuss, it was the reaction of the others that concerned them. However, surprisingly, no one had seemed to become excited over the treatment of their comrade. They had all remained seated, watching the exchange but not reacting to it.

"None of you are going to take offense to that?" Yuri asked.

Cross said, "Arty picked the fight. It's his problem, not ours." The others nodded in agreement.

Arty was just returning to his feet, not looking eager to try to regain his honor by attacking a second time. Pride was still locked in a struggle with survival instincts when Killgore spoke up and decided things for him. "Arty, I told you these were our guests and that you were to treat them with the same respect I show them. If her words, which were directed at me, didn't bother me, then they should not have bothered you. Now leave the room and have Remmy come in and take your place. He'll be squad commander for the rest of this mission since he displays a better sense of restraint, and knows when he's hopelessly outclassed."

Rebuked, Arty shot Iria a nasty glance as he exited the room. It still paled to the one that Iria shot continuously at her ex-husband, regardless of what flattery he tossed her way.

"Let's get started," Killgore announced. He directed his attention toward the three women that were seated on his left. "Since I was the one that came up with the idea of this little alliance-"

"We've only decided to hear you out, not ally ourselves with you," Iria reminded him in decidedly unaffectionate tones.

"Shh," Yuri held her finger to her lips in emphasis. Rather then being chastised, Iria turned her irritated glare towards Yuri for a moment before swinging it back to its former recipient.

"This information exchange," Killgore clarified, smiling at Iria as he accepted to her rephrasing. "As you might have guessed, when it became obvious YSC's operations were coming under attack by a hostile force of outsiders, they hired us to take care of matters. To that end we've been pursuing Zeiram since he hit Asteroid K12."

"Why didn't they just request the 3WA to help out?" Yuri asked.

The question made Killgore shift slightly in discomfort. "Let's just say YSC would rather treat this as an internal matter."

"Their people are dying," Iria pointed out.

"YSC tends to think of their employees as resources rather than people. That even goes for mercenaries like me," Killgore explained. "Once it was determined that Zeiram was behind the attacks, we managed to uncover some intelligence on the situation."

Nodding to one of the men that sat at a computer terminal, Killgore turned and pointed to the holographic projector in the middle of the room. With a flash an image appeared in the middle of the device. An exact replica of Zeiram stood motionless in the center, though much smaller than the actual being. The detail on the projection was impressive; even Iria would have sworn it had been taken directly of the beast.

"We have evidence indicating that the Tormand Confederation is responsible for resurrecting Zeiram and unleashing him on YSC properties. We're uncertain exactly how they obtained him. Perhaps they somehow cloned him or got their hands on the remains of the original and it regenerated on its own, or if it's some kind of replica that just looks like the original. What we do know is that its power level appears identical to the original monster that left a path of destruction in the Balphron Sector of space."

"You got that right," Kei agreed.

Killgore continued. "In regards to its abilities, it remains the same as before, with no known weaknesses. However there is little doubt that this time out, Zeiram is being controlled by someone. The selective nature of its targets clearly indicates that."

"How is he being controlled?" Iria asked.

A shrug of the shoulders was the only answer Killgore gave to that question. "What we do know is who is controlling him." Another signal by the tall mercenary changed the image from that of Zeiram to a normal-looking human dressed in a plain white laboratory jacket. He had ebony skin, and his hair had retreated until only a fringe remained along the sides. He was older, at least in his late forties, and of average height. A slight paunch made him look out of shape, despite the loose fitting coat he wore. He was neither handsome nor ugly. His face was unremarkable in every way and could belong to any one of a thousand people an individual would meet on any given day.

Killgore gave a sweeping gesture with his hand. "Ladies, this is the mastermind behind the Zeiram Project. One of the greatest minds involved in bio-engineering: Professor Anton Scorphius."

The name made Yuri crease her forehead in concentration. "Scorphius? Isn't that the name of one of the founders of YSC?"

"Slapatcha Scorphius. Anton is his younger brother," Killgore admitted. "That's one of the reasons YSC wants to keep a lid on this. It would look very bad to let everyone know that one of your company's founders turned on you like a rabid dog."

Kei stared in disbelief at the image. "Why in the name of the five galaxies would he want to work for a rival company that's so much smaller than his? Did Slapatcha cut him out of his inheritance or something?"

Killgore shook his head. "No. Anton was well provided for by his brother, not to mention the fact he made multi-millions in salary and stock options as the head researcher in bio-engineering for YSC. His is one of the most brilliant minds in this century, got such results that YSC let him do whatever he wanted and gave him whatever resources he needed when he worked for them"

"So if he was so rich, influential, and brilliant, why would he help destroy what made him wealthy?" Yuri asked,.

"We don't know," Killgore admitted. "But he was determined to do it. And in secret too. You see, he didn't just quit YSC. He faked his death in a shuttle explosion four years ago. It was only recently someone with, how shall we say, their eyes and ears open in TC passed on information that made my employers aware of this fact a couple of months ago. They were still in the process of deciding what to do with it when Zeiram began hitting everything with a YSC symbol on it."

"Maybe he was kidnapped, then ended up being coerced or brainwashed while at TC and is working for them against his will, " Yuri said. That seemed to make the most sense to her.

"Intelligence indicates he is working of his own free will and quite enthusiastically for them. And the data is reliable, so I have no reason to believe otherwise. Now, here's Zeiram's current path of destruction."

The holographic image changed to show the star filled arm of the galaxy they were in. Red lines appeared, circling several of the areas around the stars. "These are the operations Zeiram has struck so far, from the first target, each subsequent one was the closest YSC base of operations in the area."

The trio of women counted the number of circled areas. Yuri was the first to notice the discrepancy. "Hey, there's an extra circle there before the space station."

Killgore shifted somewhat uncomfortably. "There was a, how shall we say, sensitive operation in that area, one that the general public didn't need to be aware of. R and D of some kind going on there. I didn't bother with the details. They didn't seem relevant since Zeiram marched on without pause and attacked his next target. He needs to be taken down now."

"Right," Iria said slowly, obviously suspicious.

"Why did Zeiram hit that Sarvgon mining operation?" Kei asked.

That made Killgore wince slightly. "Since we're being completely open with one another, I'll tell you. Sarvgon is owned by a shell corporation. It's real owners are YSC. For reasons they didn't get into, and frankly I didn't care about, they didn't bother telling me why they set up a shell corporation instead of owning the operation above the table."

Kei and Yuri looked at each other. Yuri said, "I think I'm beginning to see why YSC didn't want the 3WA on the case."

A nod of agreement came from Kei. They had run into more than a handful of corrupt companies that felt they were above the law and did all sorts of illegal things in the name of expansion and continued profits. But Zeiram was the focus of the problem now, and was quickly seeing to it YSC didn't have any profits or continued expansion for some years to come.

"Do you know all of their under the table operations?" Yuri asked.

"They gave me a list, which I'm not at liberty to share with you, you understand. Unless the next nearest target is on the list, then I'll mention it. I hope you're willing to trust me on this."

Yuri shrugged and backed off, not willing to press that point. They had more important matters at hand. They could come back to dealing with YSC's illegal holdings after Zeiram was taken care of.

Iria did not feel so inclined as she gave her ex-husband a suspicious glance. "So Anton goes over to work for a rival company in order to develop Zeiram so that he can destroy his brother's company and everyone that works for it? Is that the story you're feeding us?"

The wary tone at last seemed to break through Killgore's patience regarding his former spouse's attitude towards him. "It's the truth, Iria. I've seen the evidence myself and it all makes sense. YSC wants Zeiram stopped even worse than you do and for obvious reasons. Anton Scorphius is behind this for reasons no one other than he knows yet. I was hired to take care of the problem because they regard it as an internal matter and don't want the authorities poking around in their backyard. Besides, me and my outfit really are the best at bringing down small scale problems like this. We've been hired to completely destroy him and all of his remains. I have all the information I need to get this job done, and YSC isn't going to hold back any information from me, not with how they're suffering. I wouldn't place my men in any unnecessary danger. Does that satisfy you?"

"It's bullshit," Iria stated flatly.

Ever so slightly Killgore's jaw seemed to twitch. Tension in the room increased as his men began shifting uncomfortably. Only Cross seemed largely unaffected, sending an irritated glare Iria's way and doing nothing else.

Then Killgore relaxed slightly. "Believe it or don't believe it, it's your call. Now it's time to show me your goods."

The remark made Iria start to go for her gun when Kei placed a hand on top of hers and reminded her mentor that he was referring about sharing their information as part of the bargain. Reluctantly, Iria released her hold on the butt of her pistol and left it in the holster. She did afford a withering glare toward her ex-husband, making Kei very glad she had never angered Iria like this. It was truly a disturbing thing to witness this level of anger from someone that had been so caring and understanding towards her. Kei was certain she'd all but shrivel up if Iria had ever looked at her that way.

That left Kei and Yuri to inform Killgore of what had happened. At the end of the tale, he nodded in grim appraisal. "Pretty much what I had figured out. Nice to hear the information seconded. Sounds like these commandos work for TC and are covering Zeiram's tracks as best as they can."

"If so, it's been obvious they've been planning something like this for a while," Yuri agreed.

"It doesn't explain why they attacked Omicron 4. Zeiram hadn't hit there, yet," Kei pointed out.

"Or why they deleted all of the information from the computer," Iria added, casting an even more suspicious glare Killgore's way.

Killgore shrugged. "Don't look at me. I don't pretend to know what TC's actual plan is. Maybe it's just a trial run with Zeiram, and they want to show how effective he is. Maybe they really think they can cripple YSC with just him and a few surgical strikes thrown into the mix to throw us off. Or maybe Zeiram's gone into heat and is venting off how horny he is."

One of the men laughed at that.

The amusement seemed to lighten Killgore's mood. "What I do know is I'm going to bring Zeiram down. and I'll confess I could use your help. What say we work together and toast his ass for good? There's no way he can stand up to all of us."

"Not a chance," Iria snapped.

"Lot of good you've done on your own," Cross added in an amused tone.

"What he's offering does sound good," Kei admitted. She saw Yuri nod her head in agreement as well.

Iria couldn't believe what she was hearing. "He's lying through his teeth!"

The attitude Iria was displaying continued to wear upon Yuri. "We don't know that. So far everything he's said has checked out. Even the stuff that overlapped our information, and remember, he gave his first. He couldn't possibly have changed his story to match ours like that. He sounds legitimate, and we could use the help. Since neither you nor my partner want me to contact 3WA headquarters for reinforcements, this is the only way we can get the added firepower we need to take Zeiram out. And Cross is right. In case you hadn't noticed, we haven't been doing too good on our own."

"We're batting 0 for 2 so far, Iria." Kei hoped her mentor would see past her anger. Kei was determined to have Killgore assist them, though she would be keeping one eye open on him at all times. Well, she would do that anyway since he was so damn handsome, but she would be watching for any shifty things he might be up to while checking him out. He wouldn't be the first pretty face that turned out to be rotten underneath.

Seeing the look of determination upon Yuri, and more importantly, Kei's, face, Iria let off a snarl of, "This is a mistake," and stormed out of the room.

Killgore gave a sad glance at her departing form and let out a wistful sigh, but said nothing to try to prevent her from leaving.

"It's settled then." Yuri rose to her feet and drew near Killgore. "Our ships will stay hooked up to yours via standard conduct beams. Not that we don't trust you, but I think it would be in the best interest in all involved if we didn't have direct link ups to our master computers."

"Definitely," Killgore agreed. He turned to his men in the room. "Listen up. As of this moment we're partners with these three ladies for the duration of this mission. They are to be treated with the same respect that you would treat me. Should I hear someone addressing them with even a hint of disrespect, even if they are not around, you'll have to deal with me, and we all know taking Zeiram on in single combat would be preferable to pissing me off. We will share any and all information with them, and you will help them in any way so long as it does not jeopardize the mission or the unit. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," all of the men said crisply.

Both of the women had to admit, they were rather well organized for a mercenary company. Apart from the idiot who had taken a swipe at Iria, they had been obedient and professional. Not quite to military standards, but then very few mercenaries were. Many former military personnel switched to mercenary outfits for the more lax standards that tended to be employed in such units.

Working with Killgore and his company wouldn't be much of a problem, at least on the surface. And certainly they had worked with mercenaries before as the situation warranted, so that was nothing new to them. Still, the duo were paying very close attention in case Iria was correct, and Killgore couldn't be trusted. For the moment, they needed to ally themselves with him. It seemed to be the only way they were going to make any headway on this unofficial case that had fallen upon their shoulders.

Killgore continued giving orders. "We'll maintain our heading to Baltron. So far there haven't been any signals that the YSC holdings have come under attack, and if Zeiram took a straight course from his last objective, he should have arrived there already. That means it's not too late. It's conceivable he has ship problems and could still strike at any time. We have to be prepared for the worst." He turned to his new allies. "My crew will continue preparing. I recommend you two do the same."

Kei and Yuri nodded in agreement. Both exited the room and began a slow walk back to their ship, discussing what future course to take with their new partners.

They were halfway to their destination when Killgore approached them, hurrying down the corridor from the direction they had just come from. He came to a stop before them, not a hint of being out of breath from his run. It showed an impressive endurance despite his mass. Both Yuri and Kei reacted to his approach by smiling pleasantly, then shooting dangerous looks similar to what one dog would do to another for trying to grab the same bone.

"I wonder if you could take a moment so that we could talk. About... personal matters." Killgore directed his question at Kei.

Yuri looked as crestfallen as Kei looked pleased at being the center of his attention.

"It's about Iria."

That doused Kei's mood somewhat and served to make Yuri happier. "I'll meet you back at the ship." Yuri left the duo to talk in private.

Despite the fact she wasn't the topic of the conversation, Kei maintained her pleasant demeanor. The man was devilishly handsome and it wouldn't do to appear to be a jealous shrew. "What did you want to know about Iria?"

Killgore shook his head. "Well, it's not exactly Iria I wanted to talk about, at least not in the sense you mean."

That perked Kei's curiosity. "Oh?"

Again he unleashed his whiplash smile. "I don't know what Iria's told you about me, but I just wanted to let you know what really happened between us. I don't want you thinking I'm as bad as she's probably claiming, though I fully admit to not being perfect either back when we were married."

For a moment, Kei considered informing him that Iria had said precious little about their previous relationship, but reconsidered. Why not let him spill his guts about what had happened? There were always two sides to a story, though he would probably put as good a spin on it as Iria put bad.

Killgore shifted slightly in obvious discomfort. "I was pretty young when we were married. Still a real hot shot that thought he was capable of taking on the universe and coming out on top. When I met Iria, I thought she was the woman of my dreams. Tough. Independent. Capable. A real wildcat in the sack."

That made Kei squirm slightly. She didn't like thinking of her mentor in those sorts of terms. There was also a tad hint of jealousy that the bounty hunter had managed to get married to a real hunk of man while Kei had yet to find anyone that came close to being Mr. Right. True, while it hadn't worked out in the end, it was still more success than Kei had.

After a moment to think about the past, Killgore continued. "Anyway, I admit that after we got married, things didn't turn out to be the perfect image we had both built up in our minds. Now, I won't deny I made my share of mistake, but she did too. She was never able to accept her own responsibility for our marriage breaking up, like I did mine, eventually."

That made sense. Kei admitted to herself that Iria did have a tendency to be stubborn, and Killgore was admitting he had been wrong. It was increasing his standing in her eyes.

There was a bit of sadness in Killgore's eyes. "We were too young, and more importantly, too inexperienced to deal with how our marriage was breaking up. Towards the end we were hurting each other more than loving. In hindsight, I think maybe it just wasn't meant to be. I'm not sorry we were married, there were too many good times for that, I'm just sorry things turned out the way they did. I don't know what Iria told you, but I think what I just told you was closer to the truth.

"I've calmed down a lot over the years. I've had time to live with past regrets and see some of the things I've done wrong. I feel bad about what I did to Iria, and wouldn't mind making some measure of peace with her, or at least have her believe that I'm sorry about the things I did to screw things up between us. I really hope she'll at least believe I'm sincere when I say I'm sorry. Really, I'm not the monster she seems to have built up in her mind over the last fifteen years or so, no matter what she might claim."

It was an interesting story, and to Kei's trained ears carried the ring of truth to them. She could see it all in her mind's eye as circumstances beyond the two lovers' control tore them apart . But there was still one question that nagged at her. "Iria said you murdered someone."

That made Killgore's brows furrow, and for a moment, he appeared angry at the accusation. Releasing a pent up breath, he looked up at the gunmetal gray ceiling of the ship, obviously trying to regain his composure. After several seconds that seemed to stretch into an eternity, he began speaking again. "Devon Nermani. I should have realized that's what's really bothering her."

Kei listened to every change, from the inflection of his voice, to the way he held himself gauging his reaction. "You did kill him, didn't you?"

A sort of intensity seemed to suddenly possess Killgore. He set his shoulders, as though preparing himself for a long journey. "She didn't tell you any specifics about the situation, did she?"

"She was real closed mouthed about it," Kei admitted.

For a moment it appeared Killgore would say nothing. But then he seemed to come to some sort of decision. With obvious reluctance, he began the tale. "Devon Nermani was a young kid that met Iria and me about a month into our wedding. He was eighteen or so when he and Iria kind of latched on to one another. He wanted to be a bounty hunter, and Iria decided to take him under her wing so he could get his license. She always treated him like he was her younger brother, or kid almost. It was sort of an odd thing, I always thought. Just seemed weird, all things considered. Why would she want some kid along when she was all but a newlywed?"

Kei mentally ticked off the years, Iria and Devon's respective ages at the time, and realized why the bounty hunter might have been so eager to accept someone new to train as a bounty hunter at that time. Suddenly, Kei felt a wave of guilt unexpectedly wash over her, even if it was something she could not have possibly anticipated. Still, it did little to assuage her feelings. She pushed the thoughts from her mind as she focused once again on Killgore's tale.

"I never cared much for the kid myself. Iria might have viewed him as a younger brother, but he sure didn't look at her the same way, let me tell you. She might not have realized it, but I sure did, and I let him know it. Me and Devon never got along. Not from the first time we met, but Iria didn't seem to mind that much. She just ignored my wishes and thought I was being stupid for acting jealous. Since I wasn't about to help the little Casanova, she ended up spending as much private time as she could training him, which didn't help our young marriage. Not at all.

"He didn't have much talent. Even with the intensive personal training she gave him, he was never in me and Iria's league. But she wouldn't hear of me saying otherwise, and kept getting pissed over me telling her the way things were. She's damn stubborn when she wants to be. Anyway, he managed to squeak by with a license, and then he starts riding along with us and getting more in the way than helping a lot of the time. Trying to act like a hot shot and screwing up miserably. Between that and some other stuff, our marriage really started to show signs of the strain. And then the shit really hit the fan.

"We were on an assignment in Cassadra System looking for some bountyhead with a big time price on his skull. Real dangerous mook. It turns out when we run him down, he'd just acquired some nasty bio-virus that could wipe out an entire city's population in less than twenty-four hours. And of course Devon, that little numbnuts, got separated from us, got caught, and ended up having his butt loaded up with the stuff. Bastard was going to release good ole' Devvy into the city to use as a distraction while he got away in the ensuing melee. I ran into Devon just when he was about to reach the city, I guess the kid was trying to get to a hospital before he croaked, not that it wasn't too late anyway. I couldn't let him enter it and wipe out the millions of innocent people there, so I did what any responsible person would have done.

"I put several rounds into him and burned the body at long range before he could infect anyone else."

To someone less experienced than Kei, that reaction might have elicited disgust or sorrow, but as Killgore had laid out the situation, he had taken the only option available to him. In Kei's time with the 3WA she had witnessed an entire planet consumed by a bio-virus, and it hadn't a pretty sight. And it hadn't been her fault either. Someone other than her must have blown the containment unit on the bio-virus that had somehow ended up getting released when the main reactor to the place blew up during the fight. They were just lucky they had made it off the planet alive.

At that point in the tale, Killgore seemed to soften a little. "Unfortunately, what I didn't know at the time was that Iria had snagged the cure for the bio-virus off the scientist guys that created it. But since my communicator was busted, I didn't know. She got there just in time to watch me toast the kid's body. She never forgave me for that. We got divorced right afterwards and never saw each other again until today. And that pretty much sums up everything."

Kei nodded her head in agreement. It did cast a whole new light on Iria's reaction to seeing Killgore and the animosity she demonstrated towards him. Assuming things were as simple as the tall man claimed. Though looking in those deep brown eyes he possessed made Kei want to believe he was telling the truth. It wouldn't be right for someone having eyes that sincere to be lying to her.

There was one other question that was preying on Kei's mind. "Why tell me all of this?" The redhead had her suspicions. It was probably to get her to try to talk Iria into meeting him or something to try to work out their problems. Knowing her luck, Kei would most likely end up a go-between. And then Iria and Killgore would patch up their relationship and Kei would be on the outside looking in again, just like always.

With his tale finished, Killgore moved closer to the redhead, giving her that same smile that had taken her breath away the first time she had laid eyes upon him. "I didn't want you to think unkindly of me."

"Oh?" That had caught her off-guard.

"Sure." The words seemed to flow as naturally from his mouth as breathing and his stance somehow became more... suggestive, for lack of a better term. "We are going to be working closely together. I wouldn't want some misunderstanding to prevent the two of us from joining out mutually impressive resources together, should the opportunity arise while we're working with one another on this case."

Kei found herself responding in kind with her own form of body language answering his own. "So you think I have impressive resources?"

"Absolutely." He assured her equally with his glance as much as his words. "Much more impressive than your partner's, not that she's unimpressive herself."

"Oh, my resources are much more impressive. Believe me, that's what everyone always says," Kei quickly assured him. It was Yuri's own bad luck that she couldn't be here to defend herself.

Further discussion was interrupted by Kei's earring. "Are you getting back on the ship or not?"

Had Yuri been present, Kei probably would have responded by snapping at her, but she wasn't, and getting annoyed at the earring seemed inappropriate for some reason. Instead, Kei looked at Killgore and considered the situation. It might have been a bit egotistical for him to say it so bluntly, but his resources definitely appeared impressive to her well-trained eye, and she had appraised many men of their assets over the years. Certainly, Killgore gave every indication of wanting to explore the possible potential a personal alliance, even a temporary one, could make.

But no, it would be best to take her time concerning the delicate matter. Just so long as Yuri didn't try a similar investigation upon Killgore. "I'll be over in a minute." She hit a tiny button that automatically turned off the communicator from any further transmissions. Had she not and Yuri interrupted a second time, Kei would have been considerably less pleased with the situation than she was at present.

Killgore appeared unfazed by Kei's declaration. "I look forward for the opportunity to talk to you again and what see measures we might take to further our cause." He bowed, then headed back towards the command center of the ship once again.

Lingering behind for a moment, Kei made another careful visual examination of their new partner. Definitely one of the nicest assets she had seen in some time, with the emphasis on the 'ass'. She would have to investigate it more thoroughly should an opportunity present itself later, as she hoped it would.

With a wistful sigh, Kei headed back to her ship. The walk seemed to take forever.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Still no word of problems coming from Baltron," Yuri announced as Kei finally made her way to the bridge of the Lovely Angel.

That puzzled Kei, causing her to momentarily tear her thoughts away from possible future 'partnerships.' "And we were so sure he would hit there to."

"Maybe tall, dark, and ugly is onto us?" Yuri said.

"Or Scorphius, you mean."

"Do you think Killgore's on the up and up? And I'm not referring to certain parts of his anatomy," Yuri said pensively.

"I know what you meant." Or Kei thought she did. Did Yuri suspect Killgore had hit on her? She wasn't sure, but her raven-haired partner was a superior detective. Yuri might have picked up on the heat Killgore had been sending Kei's way. It was difficult to say.

"So?"

"I think he's being mostly truthful with us." At least that was Kei assessment, but she was prepared to admit her judgment might have been affected somewhat by Killgore's attempt to pick her up.

"So you think he's holding back on us too?" Yuri tried to press her partner for a straight answer.

"I'd be surprised if he wasn't, even if only to protect his employers. After all, if they get crushed, he doesn't get paid." Kei did not want to admit it, but that was the most likely scenario. Still, maybe their paranoia was justified. It was a common fact that to have lasted as long in their business as they had, paranoia was sometimes the only thing that kept a woman alive.

Yuri found herself pleased in having her suspicions confirmed by her partner, especially since things had been so strained between them of late. Luckily, events were happening fast enough that their disagreement was temporarily pushed to the side so they could function as a team. Especially since Kei had taken Yuri's side against Iria for a change. "I thought so too. But I think he is serious about nailing Zeiram. And he did save Iria's life. I think he's reliable enough."

"And he's a total fox," Kei added.

"I didn't say that." Yuri's voice was full of righteous indignation.

"But you thought it."

"Hell, yeah." Yuri's voice was full of righteous indignation. "I noticed you checking him out too."

"He's hard not to notice. And a gal's got needs that require fulfilling. I think he could fulfill them quite nicely."

Yuri's voice dropped low, a conspiratorial whisper. "Even though he's Iria's ex? He's practically your stepfather."

"He is not!" Kei blustered.

"Of course he isn't." Yuri went from incredulous to innocent in a heartbeat, which made Kei feel all the more uncomfortable.

Groundwork laid for undermining Kei's desires to hit on Killgore, Yuri announced she was leaving the bridge to take care of some things. With any luck Kei would now hesitate about hitting on Killgore. Hopefully at least long enough for Yuri to hit on him first. Actually, given how loose Kei tended to be, the raven-haired troubleshooter was amazed she hadn't tried to jump in the sack with Killgore already. Really, the woman almost never showed restraint when some attractive guy caught her eye. Her idea of 'taking time and letting a relationship evolve' usually consisted of two whole dates before hitting the sheets and engaging in a round of the horizontal bop.

It was Yuri's turn for some action, and she had thought she caught Killgore checking her out once or twice. Ordinarily, she would have exhibited more restraint, but like Kei, her luck with the opposite sex had been absolutely terrible for a while. A long while. Yuri would be happy to go for broke for a change. She just hoped Killgore was being honest with them. She would hate to sleep with the guy and then have to kill him. It had happened before, and it depressed her to no end the last few times, but it was always a risk in their line or work. Besides, she loved the job too much to give it up for any man. Sometimes you just had to take chances and hope they paid off.

A full minute passed before Kei was convinced Yuri had departed the bridge for good. Once she was certain, her hands went to the links to their communication system. They might not have been willing to allow a direct linkup to Destiny, but the one to Creeper V was still there. "Hey, Bob."

It took only a moment for him to answer. "Yes, Kei?

His voice was cheerful, reassuring Kei she had caught him at a good time. She could rely on him to give a straight answer. Or at least she hoped he would. "Can you tell me what really happened between Iria and Eugene?"

"Got to you already, did he?"

How quickly things could change with a single question. Bob's voice had gone flat, carrying the exact same disapproving tone he had used on Kei when she had done something wrong growing up on Myce. It was disturbing how quickly the redhead felt ashamed of herself. It was practically a reflex, and she had not even done anything wrong... yet. "He has not."

"You called him Eugene."

Oops. "Well, he prefers to be called that." Even if it did sound rather nerdish to Kei.

Bob paused for a moment. He wondered if he did tell the truth would Kei bother listening, or would she do what she wanted like she usually did when she had been growing up? That was the sort of character trait Bob thought would never leave the girl; it was too ingrained into her personality. Perhaps in the end it didn't matter. Kei was an adult now, having fully blossomed into a woman some time ago, and had to deal with the valleys life dealt her was well as the high points. "Do remember that even though I don't bear as much malice toward him as Iria does, I still don't like him."

"Point taken." Kei was eager to hear things from Bob's point of view. She hoped it didn't clash too much with the picture Killgore had painted of his checkered past. If it did, she would deal with it when it came up. But until then she was going to live with her hopes.

"I'm going to be perfectly blunt here, which means you might not like hearing some of the things I'm going to tell you. Don't say I didn't warn you."

That caught Kei slightly off-guard. It wasn't like Bob to be this cautious. "Okay. I want to hear it."

Bob let out an audible sigh before summoning the resolve to begin. "As much as Iria tries to tell you she was calm and understanding after you left, the truth of the matter was, she was a basketcase. She worried about you constantly and blamed herself for raising you too harshly and driving you away. You might not have been her child by blood, but she thought of you as such. She felt very betrayed."

"Oh." Now Kei suddenly understood what Bob had meant about not wanting to hear the truth. Guilt affected Kei anew, almost as bad as the guilt she had felt over not getting in touch with Iria for over a decade and a half.

"Don't get me wrong," Bob quickly clarified. "Now she's fine, and has been so for years. But back then your sudden departure left an emotional void in Iria, even if she'll never admit it to this day. It was also at that time that Lance Eugene Killgore entered her life.

"He was a hotshot bounty hunter that crossed paths with Iria on a case about three months after you left. I wasn't with her when they actually first met, due to what she had to go through to follow her targets, but she confided all but the most lurid of details with me. Basically, they brought in a bunch of dangerous bountyheads together. During the course of the mission, he saved her life first at great risk to his own, and she returned the favor. Unfortunately, Iria let the heat of the moment, and Killgore's own suave nature, seduce her.

"By the time she got back to me, she claimed she was deeply in love with the guy, and him with her. I didn't like him from the first time we met, and I could tell he felt the same way about me. I tried to get along with him, really, but he reminded me way too much of a lot of other characters I'd gotten to know in my previous life's line of work. They're all smooth talk and good looks, but when push comes to shove, their egos won't let fidelity stick around. There were other things that felt wrong about him as well, and most of them proved to be right by the end.

"To Iria, he mostly did all right during the courtship phase of their relationship, but after they were married, things started to go downhill, and she quickly discovered marrying a man does not change his basic nature. Within weeks he was hitting on other women the moment Iria was out of sight, and the cases they went on he was always happy to use too much force to bring the bounty in. Sometimes they deserved it, but mostly he was just ruthless. He spent a lot more than they made and they ended up to their ears in debt pretty quick. Fights started to break out, and truthfully, Lance didn't make more than a token effort to patch things up. He'd just leave and not come back for days on end. Iria was sort of a wreck at the time too, and didn't exactly make working things through too easy. Still, Lance was the one that was responsible for nearly all of the crap they went through, make no mistake about that. "

"So when did Devon figure into things?" Kei asked.

The question caught Bob off-guard. "Iria told you about Devon?"

"Actually, Killgore did."

"That's a surprise," Bob reluctantly admitted. "Though I'm sure he only told you his version of events. Let me tell you the whole thing. Devon was a young kid that wanted to be a bounty hunter. Iria took him under her wing. No matter what Iria or Lance might tell you, the real reason she helped him so much was that he was nearly a dead ringer of a younger version of Gren."

Kei let that information sink in. "Oh, geez. No wonder she tried to hard to keep him around."

"Exactly. Unfortunately, outside of his appearance, the kid was no Gren. He lacked hunter instincts and made lots of basic mistakes. He was completely wrong for the job. It was obvious he'd get his butt killed within the first year of being a hunter. That was the one thing Lance and I agreed on. We both tried telling Iria, but she wouldn't hear of it. She had this whole thing built up in her mind that this was her chance to do for Gren what he did for her. And since you were out of the picture, Devon was her best shot at doing that."

The admonishment made Kei feel worse than ever. "I didn't know it hit her that hard."

"You would have if you had at least tried to stay in touch." There was barely a hint of forgiveness in Bob's voice. Apparently that had been a sore spot for him as well. "But since you didn't, you couldn't have known. And so things turned out the way they did. Devon got his bounty hunter's license, much to mine and Lance's irritation. His personality wasn't the least bit like Gren's either. He was kind of an annoying snot. He was no Lance, but still a pest. Worse, he had this huge crush on Iria, and knew her marriage to Lance was on the rocks, so he took stupid risks in an attempt to impress her. Two months after he first got his license, it finally happened.

"There was a case with an infamous terrorist that had this large mark on his head. Well, Devon took it upon himself to strut his stuff by bringing this guy in personally. It turned out the guy was dealing with a bio-virus. Somehow that idiot kid got the bio-virus loaded into him and panicked by heading to the nearest city for a cure, nevermind the fact all he would do was end up killing everyone there. Iria and Lance tried to stop Devon and save the city. Iria managed to get her hands on the cure for him, but it was too late. Lance found him first and killed him. I hate to admit it, but without Lance knowing Iria had the cure with her and she was on the way, he did the right thing. Still, Iria never forgave him for that. She was almost angry enough to kill him on the spot. She emptied her gun at his feet. God knows why he didn't try to shoot back. I didn't think he had the ability to show that much consideration for her, even if she was his wife. After that, she got a divorce as quick as possible and that was the last they ever saw of one another. Until today."

"Until today," Kei repeated. That certainly painted a slightly different picture from the one Killgore had told her, at least concerning his responsibility for the break up. She didn't want to believe it, but she found herself admitting it made sense given the emotions the mercenary and the bounty hunter felt for one another. But he was just so damn handsome. And he knew how to talk to a woman. Even his body language radiated sensuality, and she had met damn few men in her lifetime who could pull that one off.

"It's been a long time. Maybe he's changed?" Kei hoped it didn't sound like she was grasping at something... anything.

"A Tallarien can't change the number of his appendages, Kei. He's still the same bastard he was before. I could tell that from the moment I laid eyes on him."

It was probably the truth. However, Kei was reluctant to back off. Damn it, she wanted him bad. "Maybe you're right. I need to think about this." She cut off the comm-link to Bob and began thinking about her situation and trying to prevent her more base instincts from overriding her common sense.

It was proving a harder task than even she would have thought possible.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lance Eugene Killgore heard the voice of one of his subordinates from the hallway outside his quarters drift through the closed door. It was a deep, rumbling one that sounded like a ten ton tank rolling across a gravel highway. Probably Phalanx, his heavy weapons man. He was a seven foot, four hundred and fifty kilogram mass of drug enhanced muscle with a cybernetic reinforced skeletal structure. The man was capable of handling three quarters of a ton of firepower and had been called upon to do so on more than one occasion. He made a darn good quiche as well.

Killgore could barely make out Phalanx's "Hey, those are the Major's quarters. You can't go in there."

Ah, he was wondering when she would show up. Killgore rose to his feet and moved toward the door in order to greet his visitor. He knew she would be dropping by for a personal visit once she had the opportunity, and knew they wouldn't be interrupted by one of the other women. Lesser men might have professed to be confused by the opposite sex, but Killgore was not a lesser man. He knew the female of the species almost as well as he knew himself. Women were so predictable.

The sound of a seven foot and four hundred and fifty kilogram mass of drug enhanced muscle with a cybernetic reinforced skeletal structure hitting the metal of the deck came from outside the room.

His ex-wife was the most predictable of them all.

Knowing she would enter before he could make it to the door, Killgore chose to wait in the center of the room. He placed his hands behind his back and planted one of his patented whiplash grins on his face, the kind that had caught Iria in the first place all those years ago. As angry as she was with him, even with all they had gone through, she wouldn't be completely immune to his charm. It was impossible.

The door opened and Iria stomped in. Killgore greeted her in the way he had nearly every morning they had been married. "Hey there, Sunshi-"

The side of a pistol impacted solidly with the side of his face, the dull thud of the metal meeting flesh sounding louder than Killgore's own greeting. The force of the blow snapped his head back for a split second and made his eyes open in shock. Perhaps she wasn't as predictable as he had originally thought. In hindsight, Iria had been the woman that had managed to give him the most surprises in his life. It had been one of her most appealing traits, as well as one of the most annoying.

Bringing his head back around to its original position, he discovered the cold metal of the barrel of the pistol delicately caress the bottom of his jaw. Despite that gentleness in the move, the woman holding the firearm was in anything but a delicate mood.

A threat that was voiced in a way that had more in common with a feral snarl than words escaped from Iria's lips. "I swear to you, if you even look in Kei's direction again I will blow your fucking head off!"

"Nice to see you too." The words were partially muted by the unrelenting steel placed against his jaw.

This time Iria spoke clearly in an almost calm voice that was more cause than ever for alarm. "I'm not kidding, Eugene. I won't let you hurt her one tenth of the way you hurt me. I'll kill you, even if I have to shoot my way through this pack of rats you have following at your heels. I'll kill every one of them to get to you. Do you understand me?"

"I understand perfectly." Which was the truth, though whether he would cave into her demands was something else altogether. Generally, Lance Eugene Killgore reacted negatively to threats, even from his former spouse. It was evidently something Iria had forgotten over the intervening years.

The barrel remained where it was. "I know you're lying to us. I just don't know how much you're holding back. Rest assured, if I find out it's too much, you won't like the consequences."

Despite the pistol pressed against his jaw, Killgore was relaxed. He rolled his eyes at the statement. "Really, Iria, this sort of heavy handed tactic is beneath you."

"Using it on you, it's an indulgence."

Even Killgore was somewhat taken aback by the viciousness in her voice. He hadn't thought she would remain this angry with him for so long. None of the other women in his life ever had. Of course, he hadn't married any of them. He decided he really didn't like the surprises Iria was capable of unleashing on him.

Slowly, the bounty hunter withdrew the weapon, leaving a cautious eye on Killgore in case he tried anything. "I meant what I said. Don't test me."

"Oh, I definitely believe you." And that was the complete truth. Her attitude was something to definitely factor into every future equation that came up during this alliance.

She was halfway to the door when she turned and said, "By the way, Cross is gay and has the hots for you."

Killgore gave a haughty smile that made Iria's brows furrow in irritation. "Of course he does. How else do you think I could keep a Samisdat assassin on my payroll? Sometimes I even flirt back with him to keep him around. He's really one of the best. Almost as good as me."

"Still a master of using the people around you," Iria spat with disdain as she backed towards the door again.

Just as she was about to exit, Killgore rubbed his jaw and calmly stated, "You know, if I didn't still care for you, you wouldn't be leaving this room alive for what you just did."

A baleful glare met him in response to his statement. "And if you had done anything in our time together that made me still care for you, I wouldn't have come here at all."

Without another word she exited the room. Less than ten seconds later, another person entered the compartment.

"I saw someone knocked out Phalanx out in the hall and decided to check on you." Cross looked at the reddish swelling that had formed on the right side of Killgore's face. It seemed to be growing larger by the second. He went up and gently examined it with his fingertips. "That little tart did that to you, eh? Shows you should exercise better judgment when you stick that piece of yours in other people's business. Want me to kill her?"

"Don't be absurd," Killgore snorted. "We need her and the others. I can take a little heat from my ex-wife. If push comes to shove, I'll be the one to put her in her place."

Cross gave a high-pitched snort. "As usual, you underestimate what a woman scorned can do to a man. I used to be the same way. One of these days I'll show you the scars I got when I learned that painful lesson."

This was a day full of surprises. "You managed to get a woman angry at you?"

That made Cross chuckle. "Not that way, Major. And rest assured, you're far better at that sort of thing than I'll ever be." Killgore's adjutant suddenly turned serious. "Don't go out of your way to make her angry. She's not completely rational when dealing with you, which makes her unpredictable."

Killgore rubbed his sore face. "You've got that right."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Iria returned to the bridge of her ship, letting loose a string of curses that would have made Bob blush if he still had a face. Instead, he changed the interior of the ship's lighting to red to match his mood. "I take it your little talk with Lance didn't go along as well as planned? Should I heat the guns up and target his ship?" Bob said, only half jokingly.

Iria picked up a box of ammunition and threw it against one of the sides of the ship, barely missing a portable tracking unit that had been left lying on a table. "That bastard!"

A quick quip came to Bob, but he refrained from voicing it. Now was not the time for humor. "He's not going to back off?"

It took several moments for Iria to regain enough control over her temper to speak coherently. "Who the hell can tell with him?! But I swear to god I will kill him if he tries anything with her. I mean anything!"

This was bad, though Bob couldn't blame her. He didn't want the untrustworthy lech getting near Kei either. Back when the redhead had grilled him about Killgore, Bob had considered lying about just how bad Lance was in order to scare her off, but he had never felt comfortable with lying, especially to those he cared about. Besides, Killgore was plenty bad enough on his own without Bob's embellishment. Still, it was odd how that sort of man drew certain kinds of women to them like moths to a flame. It was difficult to say if Kei was one of those danger seekers, but she had tried very hard to defend Killgore from Bob's assessment of the man. That seemed to point the direction that the redhead was leaning toward. Bob still hadn't told Iria about that little detail, or their conversation at all. There was no telling how she would react if she thought Kei was seriously interested in the mercenary, but it would probably involve excessive amounts of bloodshed and violence.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Her strength leaving her, Iria slumped down in the pilot's chair, desperate to figure out what to do. They were in an alliance with Lance, thanks to his smooth talking Kei and Yuri into believing he was trustworthy. They were being stupid in not listening to Iria. She knew Killgore. He would betray them when it became convent, but unfortunately she had no way to prove it. They had to terminate the agreement, which she could not get the others to do unless she could prove her ex-husband was holding out on them. If she had a little evidence, then she might be able to convince the others to end this ridiculous farce, and they could get down to the serious business of hunting Zeiram down.

And then there was the whole issue concerning Kei. Unless Iria was terribly mistaken, her former ward had been looking Killgore over. And she was certain Yuri was. Regardless of the friction she and the raven-haired troubleshooter were suffering from, there was no way Iria would wish Killgore on any woman. Or man, for that matter. But Kei was the bounty hunter's first concern. She had to get her former ward away from him. Iria knew the redhead well enough that if she tried ordering her away from Killgore, there was a good chance she would accuse Iria of meddling in her affairs and fool around with him just to be defiant.

Certainly Lance was capable of seducing just about any woman if he put his mind to it, Iria could personally attest to that. The years had been very kind to the man, and he was just as suave and handsome as he was when they had first met. She might have despised the very sight of him, but she could admit on a purely ascetic level that he remained physically attractive. But Kei didn't know the real him, and Iria would do whatever it took to prevent her from finding out. But exactly what could she do to protect her former ward without it being obvious that was what she was doing?

And then it came to her. Of course. That would be the perfect excuse to get Kei out of harm's way, as well as obtaining evidence that would end their partnership with her hated former lover. How could she have been so foolish as to not come up with it before?

"Bob, I have an idea. We're going to send her back home to see Mikael and have him slice some information for us. If there's dirt to dig up on Killgore and prove he's full of shit, Mikael can find it."

Bob considered that. The plan sounded workable, and it made sense. Even if Iria wasn't concerned for Kei's well-being, it was a good course of action to take. "True. But do you think you can convince Kei to take a side-trip to Myce for that?"

"She might not be happy about it," Iria admitted. "But it's a reasonable request, and it'll get her out of harm's way. Both her and Yuri know there's no way in hell I'll let Lance out of my sight. And I'll just tell Kei I trust her more than Yuri to get this important information we need. Besides, you know Mikael."

Bob chuckled at that. "Too true. Put an attractive woman like Kei in front of him, and he'll walk on water to charm them. Even if it wasn't you asking, he'd do just about anything to impress someone like Kei."

That brought a smile to Iria's face. She had not considered that initially. Ordinarily she would not approve of the way Bob was referring to Mikael, but since this was Kei they were talking about, that changed everything. Yes, Kei meeting Mikael might prove a very good thing indeed. It could potentially solve three problems that had been plaguing Iria. Two recent ones and another she had accepted a few months ago.

Yes. It was time for Kei to go back and visit the old homestead.

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[End notes]

Thanks for reading.

D.B. Sommer


	7. Chapter 7

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot Chapter 7

Any and all CC is appreciated. You can contact me at

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"Are you sure it was a good idea to send Kei away?" Yuri asked.

Iria turned away from the controls of the Creeper V and looked to the co-pilot's seat where her new travel companion looked at her expectantly. "I want a second source of information on what Lance has been feeding us. The quickest way to prove he's lying is to have someone else contradict the intelligence he's been giving. Kei knows Myce. She was the logical one to go."

Yuri had to admit, it made sense. It was a pity that meant Kei had to take the Lovely Angel with her while leaving Yuri to travel with Iria. Spending time with Killgore would have been infinitely preferable, but despite defending him against Iria, the troubleshooter wasn't willing to trust him that far yet. Whatever friction there was between Yuri and Kei's mentor, honesty was not a point of contention the way it potentially was with Killgore.

"You trust this slicer?" Yuri asked.

"With my life," Iria said without hesitation.

That surprised Yuri. She personally held a low opinion on what she considered one of the most worthless forms of criminal around. Slicers were always shut-in computer geeks that never left their terminals, mistaking virtual reality as being better than the real thing. They treated their computers better than they would their girlfriends, not that they ever had any. The weasely nerds gave her the creeps.

"Must be one hell of a slicer if you think he can dig up something on Killgore that fast."

"He's a prodigy, there's no doubt about that," Iria confirmed. "He's been plowing through passwords and protection files the way you or I shoot at targets since he was five. That boy was born to do it."

Yuri was curious at the pride-filled tone Iria was using. "He bail you out of a tight spot?"

"Once or twice," she admitted reluctantly. "I got arrested on a backwater world where the bountyhead was related to the local governor. I was slated for execution until Mikael hacked into the prison I was in and overrode the controls to the place. I escaped in the ensuing riot. Went on to nail the bountyhead, as well as the governor, too. It was pretty hairy, though. There were a couple of other times he helped me out of a tight jam, but I've bailed him out five times as often. That boy gets into trouble the way..." Iria paused, obviously trying to come up with a comparison and failing.

"Kei does all the time?" Yuri offered.

"Oh yes. Definitely like Kei," Iria agreed. "Their penchant for getting themselves in trouble is exactly the same, even if nothing else is."

Yuri smiled to herself. So, poor Kei was shuttled off to some boring planet to hang out with a geeky troublemaker. It would serve her right for all the problems she had been causing lately.

The beeping from an incoming communication shook Yuri out of her fantasy of Kei's complaints about being stuck with a nerd while Yuri hogged all the time with hunky Killgore. She read the origin point of the transmission. "It's the Destiny."

"Put it on," Iria snarled.

That girl was going to have to calm down, Yuri decided. If Zeiram didn't kill her, an embolism would.

The message was set for audio only. Killgore's voice came from the speaker, sounding highly jovial. "Good news, Sunshine. One of my contacts just informed me that the ship we've been looking for recently put down on Station Zionacht in the Tribera Sector."

"That's not far away. No more than a couple of hours," Yuri pointed out. Finally, they had a shot at catching up to Zeiram before he had a chance to kill anyone. Or at least before he killed everyone. "Has he started shooting up the place?"

"Not yet, according to the source. And he's been there for half an hour already."

"Should we tip off the local authorities?" Yuri asked.

Iria shook her head. "Bad idea. They don't have the firepower to deal with Zeiram. We tell them he's there, they'll try to take him down, fail, and then the monster will attack the place for sure. Right now time's our ally. If he hasn't attacked yet, he might wait until we get there."

Yuri admitted the logic was sound. There was no reason to push their luck. If things stayed as they were, they could get lucky and surprise Zeiram. Perhaps they'd manage to take him out without destroying half the station.

"How trustworthy is the source?" Iria asked, suspicion lacing her voice.

"We're setting a heading for the station now," Killgore offered in answer.

Yuri noted the continued distrust on Iria's face as the bounty hunter began questioning further. "Why would Zeiram be going there? I've been there before. It's not even a YCS built station. It's one of those local system jobs."

"Couldn't tell you. Maybe hitting YSC targets has become too problematic and he's going after secondary ones to throw us off. Maybe he has some grudge against the local system. Maybe they have equipment from YSC and that's a good enough reason to go after them. I don't know his motive for being there, only that he's there, and it's our job to kill him," Killgore stated.

"Feed us your heading, and we'll follow you in," Yuri said before Iria could launch into another tirade about how Killgore couldn't be trusted and that they should put two missiles into him now while his guard was down.

Yuri's plan worked as whatever protest Iria was going to issue died before it could be born. With a grunt, Iria accepted the information being sent and matched their flight path with the Destiny's.

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"Do you think anything's going to be left by the time we get there?" Yuri asked. Iria had gone silent for the most part, and the troubleshooter was reluctant to prod her if it meant unleashing another vitriolic anti-Killgore diatribe. But the alternative silence was driving Yuri crazy. She was too used to Kei's being a chatterbox, one that would fill the air with inane ramblings for hours on end. The only time she had been as silent as Iria was when her jaw had been broken and wired shut.

"Lance said things were still quiet," Iria said. "That's too quiet, in my book. Either his source is completely wrong, or Zeiram and this Scorphius guy who's supposedly pulling his strings is up to something."

Yuri was inclined to agree. Still, if the situation remained the same, and Zeiram sat tight, she thought they had a chance.

A warning klaxon briefly sounded, indicating the ships were coming out of hyperspace. Despite everything being on automatic, Iria and Yuri kept a close eye on the readouts, making certain everything remained within standard parameters. If the ship didn't, they would be quick to correct it. Dropping out of hyperspace in the wrong spot was a good way to end up in the middle of a star, or having parts of one's ship appear in two different places at once.

Everything operated smoothly as the ships dropped out of hyperspace and the view outside returned to the normal scene of eternal darkness broken by occasional pinpoints of night that signified deep space. Once the duo determined that had indeed ended up at the correct celestial contact point, they quickly oriented themselves and began heading toward the orbital flight path that would take them into the station itself.

Yuri watched as a shuttle detached itself from the nearby Destiny. It was necessary for whoever was going to board the station, since the massive ship was too large to dock easily, and time was of the essence. The shuttle could be in before the main ship began the first leg of the docking procedure.

The communication console beeped again.

Yuri answered it, "What now?" she asked politely before Iria could complain.

"There's a potential problem that just cropped up," Killgore said. "I'd advise you to go in ahead of me and via a different route. You might want to claim you don't know me either."

"I knew things were running too smoothly," Iria said. "What did you do now?"

"It's not exactly what I did as much as who I know, or more precisely, who knows me," Killgore admitted. "I've just received a download of crew personnel on the station."

"How did you do that? That stuff's usually private information," Yuri said as her law enforcement instincts came to the fore.

"It's not that well guarded," Killgore answered with the smirk in his voice all too clear. "In any case, it turns out one of my former comrade-in-arms is now the chief of security there."

A smile formed on Iria's face. "Let me guess, you didn't part under the best of terms with him. That is your habit, after all."

"Well, not exactly," Killgore said with a bit of hesitation. "In any case, I haven't done anything wrong, so they can't keep me off the station. But they might decide to give me a hard time. I'd spare you the hassle you might get for being associated with me."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Yuri happily supplied before Iria's said something that terminated the alliance they had with Killgore and his outfit.

"Yes, I'd rather not suffer any guilt by association with you," Iria put in anyway.

"We'll go on ahead. Good luck." Yuri cut the link. She immediately began plotting a new course that would have them approach a different docking bay from the one Killgore's shuttle would be taking.

The inbound flight was uneventful. The station's traffic controllers knew what they were doing and kept other ships well out of the Creeper V's path. Iria handled the ship's controls with the casual hand of someone who had flown so often that the spaceship was as much an extension of her body instead of a mere vehicle. Yuri was the same way with the Lovely Angel. It was a casualness that only a pilot with a couple hundred dockings under their belt could master.

Docking was completed both quickly and efficiently. Nothing occurred during the landing procedure that aroused Yuri's suspicions. It seemed boringly ordinary, with nothing unusual in the slightest. Whatever problems Killgore had been concerned they might run into never materialized.

It was only after they landed and walked down the boarding ramp that Yuri discovered all was not business as usual with their arrival. Waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp was a welcoming party that consisted of a dozen heavily armed men dressed in what was unmistakably station security personnel uniforms. Judging by the way the men handled their weapons in their 'at attention' state, they had some measure of discipline. It was difficult to say if the same thing applied to their skill. Executing parade exercises was one thing, being able to handle oneself in a firefight was completely different.

However, their weaponry, and skill, was secondary in Yuri's threat assessment. Flanking each side of the ramp was the silvery gleam of a metallic robotic guardian that was affectionately nicknamed a 'Bottweiler'. As the name implied, the robots were created in the shape of dogs, quarter ton animals that stood nearly chest high to Yuri. They had been designed with intimidation in mind, their pointed snouts loaded with sharp metal teeth that lacked sides to hide the wicked-looking weapons, giving the constructs a perpetual snarl. While the robots certainly had the ability to bite, their mechanical jaws being able to puncture an inch of titanium without a problem, that was among the least of its weaponry. If Yuri remembered the schematics on them correctly, they were equipped with a number of concealed weapons. Both a pacification package, which included tear gas, electric shocks, and rubber projectiles, and more lethal arms, such as lasers, slug throwers, and flechette rounds. Seeing them waiting with what appeared to be a hungry look in their glowing, ruby red visual sensors was a disturbing feeling, one Yuri was certain was intentional.

Another pair of Bottweilers rested on their haunches, flanking the man at the center of the group, indicating he was the officer in charge. He had a harsh face, made all the worse by the fact half of it had been outfitted with a cybernetic prosthetic. Given how inexpensive human-looking ones were, the choice of mechanization over flesh was intended to intimidate in the same way the Bottweilers were.

The red iris, so much like the Bottweilers seemed to bore through Yuri and Iria. The human one wasn't much better. Both seemed to carry a hint of malice and underlying threat of violence.

Yuri was used to situations like this. For some odd reason, her and Kei were rarely welcomed anywhere with open arms. She directed her attention to the leader. "An interesting welcoming party Mr...?"

"Captain Campion," he said in clipped, formal tones. He looked her uniform over, his gaze not shifting in the slightest. "You're with the 3WA?"

"A troubleshooter." Yuri walked to the bottom of the ramp, coolly ignoring both the Bottweilers' stares and the men's, and approached Campion. She held out an ID card for him to examine.

He looked the card over. Yuri could see a red light play over the surface of her card, and realized he had an electronic scanner built into his mechanical eye.

He handed the card back to her. "Everything seems to be in order. Are you here on a mission?"

"No." At least, not officially, since she hadn't checked back with headquarters and received the Zeiram case as her assignment. "My friend and I are here to pick up supplies." Which was true. They would pick some up, as well as any Zeirams that might be lying around.

"I see." Campion shifted the conversation to a different topic. "Another ship came out of hyperspace close to you. Are you affiliated with it in some way?"

Yuri cursed silently to herself. Evidently Campion was someone that paid attention to details. Yuri decided to try the 'ditzy girl' act to try to slide out of the situation. Her voice sounded vacuous as she primped her hair. "Oh, that big meanie. It was really annoying the way he nearly came out right on top of us."

The remaining muscles on Campion's face twitched slightly. "Yes, he is an annoying individual."

That settled any question of this man being the one Killgore had mentioned. And his assumption about lingering hard feelings was on the ball. Yuri decided to play along with Campion's attitude. "He should be reprimanded or something."

"Or something," Campion seconded, a snarl in his voice, similar to Iria's when referring to her ex-husband, appeared.

Campion's head suddenly shifted. He went from facing Yuri to looking over her shoulder, his still natural eye took on a distant gaze. Yuri wondered what was going on when the man spoke again, though this time he addressed the air, rather than her.

"I see. I'll be down momentarily."

Now she understood. There was a receiver built into his cranium, as well as a transmitter in his voice box. She wondered what other additions the man had hidden within his cybernetics, and how much of him that remained was still human.

The captain gave a hand signal to his men. They began to reform in a formation so they could march out of the hanger in an orderly fashion.

Campion returned his attention to the woman in front of him. "A shuttle from that ship is coming in. You might be getting that reprimand that you wanted." He turned to one of his men and said, "I want all the dogs loose."

"All of them?" the man said incredulously.

"I'm expecting trouble," Campion said quietly, then turned back to the women. He bowed. "I'll be taking my leave of you now."

"Certainly." Yuri was delighted to have escaped without incident. The brief message about Killgore's incoming shuttlecraft had already shifted the man's attitude so that he mirrored Iria when she was in the presence of Killgore, except without the open death threats. She hated to think what would have happened if he had figured out they and Killgore were working together.

Campion took only a handful of steps before stopping and looking back at Yuri. "Oh, you'll have to leave all of your weapons on your ship. Your friend as well." He indicated Iria with a nod. "It's standard procedure. No one goes on board my station armed."

Yuri looked at the sidearm in the holster on her hip. It was all she dared bring for fear of tipping the man off that something was wrong. "But I'm a 3WA troubleshooter, and am authorized to carry a firearm with me anywhere at all times."

"I thought you said you weren't on a mission."

"I'm not."

"Then you won't need your weapon."

"You never know what might happen. Some people have a touch of animosity toward the 3WA in general and troubleshooters in particular. Having a weapon around tends to convince them to leave their biases at home," Yuri pointed out.

"That's why we're here, and get paid for what we do." Campion indicated his men and machines. "Of course, you are correct. You do have the authority to carry a weapon with you."

"Thank you," Yuri said, glad she didn't have to pull rank.

"However, in that case, I'll assign a pair of men to you, just to ensure there is no danger to you and you'll encounter a situation that forces you to use your weapon. After all, if you're that worried about people gunning for you, you'll want the additional protection."

Yuri grimaced on the inside. Having a couple of overpaid security guards dogging her steps would ruin everything. She and Iria were going to need privacy if they were to find Zeiram, or at least some clues that would lead to him. "I see your point." She handed her gun to one of the men.

"I don't have any weapons," Iria said.

Campion looked at her incredulously. "An outer rim bounty hunter with no weapons? That would be a first. I assume you have no objections to one of my men searching you?"

Iria held her arms out to her side in offering. Campion pointed to one of his men to search her. He ran a scanner over her entire body, up the front then down the back. When that turned up nothing, he began a physical search. His manner was nothing but professional, his hands searching thoroughly but never lingering long enough to be offensive. He rifled through the bounty hunter's pouches, but came up with nothing more than some transmitters, a small handheld light, infra red goggles, and a few other unusual items.

The searcher made a face at a small rectangle wrapped in pus green foil that was in her belt pouch. "Ugh, KCR Rations?"

"They last forever," Iria said in a slightly offended tone.

"Yeah, because they have the constancy of steel." He rapped it against a piece of her armor, producing a solid impact. "Yep, that's a KCR, all right." he continued his search, and pulled a small boxy item from her bag. He looked it over. "Your vid-cam is broken."

"I know, that's why I'm bringing it along. I'm getting it fixed while I'm on the station."

"I just didn't want to get blamed for it," the man insisted. He turned to his commander. "She's clean."

Campion nodded. "Very well. I want you and Farnsworth to escort the ladies to the commercial section so they can start on their supplies, then rejoin us at docking bay ten."

"Yes, sir." The man saluted crisply.

"Thank you for being so helpful," Yuri said politely, cursing the man on the inside. So much for the direct approach for wandering over to other bay that Zeiram's craft had been docked at. They'd have to do it more surreptitiously.

The other men and robots departed, leaving Yuri and Iria alone with their two escorts.

"If you'd follow me?" Iria's searcher offered, taking the lead.

Having no other choice, Yuri did so. If Iria was annoyed by the inconvenience and search, she gave no indication of it. Outwardly, she seemed to be just what Yuri had claimed, a woman looking for supplies. She was a touch surprised the bounty hunter had removed all of her weapons before coming onto the station. The woman wore a small armory every time Yuri had seen her. She wouldn't have been surprised if the bounty hunter took a shower with a cake of explosive soap on hand and acid concealed in her shampoo.

As they headed toward the commercial section, Yuri took a closer look at the man who was walking next to her. As much as he was trying to hide it, this Farnsworth guy was checking her out. He was definitely younger, probably just turned twenty, and still had a lingering pimply teenager complexion. He didn't move quite as crisply as his compatriot, who had executed the search. Despite his sly interest, Yuri judged him a bit young for her tastes, and not very handsome. It was nice to know she still had eye appeal. His youth and attraction would also work in her favor in other ways.

Yuri's pace slowed subtly, allowing her and her escort to drop back slightly while Iria and her escort took the lead. Once out of their direct line of sight, she met Farnsworth's gaze and began flirting with him in small ways. A slight smile. A glance out of the corner of her eye that implied potential interest. It was nothing overt that would attract the others' attention, yet open enough that the kid would be almost certain to think she found him interesting, which would distract him as he began fantasizing about what the interest might mean.

Just as they reached the commercial section, Yuri slipped, giving a girlish, "Oh," as she fell into the young man. Reflexively Farnsworth grabbed her to keep her from falling. Yuri grabbed hold of him, supporting herself as well as mashing her breasts into his chest.

"Thank you for saving me from that nasty fall," she cooed as she regained her footing.

Farnsworth blushed. "N... No problem." He stood there, staring at Yuri with an open mouth.

His co-worker cleared his throat, gaining the younger man's attention. "We need to get going." To highlight the need to move, the man did so, walking away from Iria.

Reluctantly, Farnsworth agreed. He headed away at a slow trot, following his comrade. He did take a moment to turn and salute Yuri. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss."

"And you too," Yuri said unnaturally cheerfully as she waved at the man.

Once the pair were out of sight, Yuri smiled at Iria. "That takes care of that."

"That whole come on act was to palm his gun, eh?" Iria asked.

Yuri pouted, this time in genuine disappointment. She was sure she had slipped it past everyone. At least the kid hadn't caught on. She twirled the pistol around, showing it off to Iria. "Since they took my gun, it was only fair I take one of theirs." And it was one of the oldest tricks in the book.

"Nice style, though," Iria said as she pulled out the broken camera.

"I don't think we have time to get it fixed," Yuri said, surprised Iria would regard the item as important considering Zeiram was still out there.

"Oh, I don't know," Iria said as she opened the back and proceeded to remove some pieces from it. "I'm handy with parts, and might be able to cobble something together."

Yuri watched in increasing fascination as Iria began removing some of the inconspicuous items from her person and began attaching them together in ways that shouldn't have been possible. Within moments, Yuri understood what was going on as the parts began to take shape and form something else.

Iria took one last item from a pouch, the 'ration' and removed the green foil covering from it, revealing a metal energy cartridge. Iria tapped it once on the top, once on the bottom, and once on the top again. It began to hum. She then slipped the cartridge into the proper part of the somewhat unwieldy, but effective, hand gun she had constructed.

"Nice." Yuri whistled appreciatively.

Iria showed it off to her. "I had it especially made after I got into a bad situation when I was disarmed by the local constabulary, sort of like here. And the police were a group of women that were not lesbians, so your little trick wasn't an option."

The pair concealed their weapons, not wanting to risk any stray security officers that might see them and wonder why they were going about armed.

"So now what do we do?" Yuri asked.

"Let's try to find a roundabout way to get to that ship that was transporting our target and see what we can dig up."

Yuri considered that, then gave a small shake of her head.

"What is it?" Iria asked.

Yuri considered things. "I doubt if Zeiram was brought here without some reason. I wonder if it might be worthwhile to look around and see if we can spot something suspicious."

"He doesn't exactly keep a low profile." Iria pointed out.

"No, he doesn't. Except this time he's being controlled, which explains a lot of things. We need to stop thinking like Zeiram, and start thinking like the guy pulling his strings. If he's here and not shooting up the place, which he has had plenty of opportunity to do, then there must be something he's after."

"Sound reasoning," Iria admitted. "I still say we should check out the ship. Why don't we keep our eyes open for anything unusual while we try to find a way to sneak out to the docking ring, which will take a while anyway? If that doesn't pan out, we'll have some idea of the layout of the place and possibly eliminate some areas to search on the way."

Yuri nodded her head. With the decision made, the two began their search.

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Had Lance Eugene Killgore witnessed the earlier meeting between his ex-wife and former member of his mercenary force turned private security head, he would have been struck by an intense feeling of déjà vu, save that Campion was looking at him with the same adoration Iria had. Adoration in the sense that he would love to put a round in Killgore's head.

"It's nice to see you too," Killgore stated in what he hoped was a pleasant voice.

"I'm trying to come up with a reason to allow you on this station. I'm not coming up with one. On the other hand, throwing you out an airlock and spacing you seems like a much more enjoyable idea," Campion said.

Killgore noted that Campion's agitated state had infected his squad, a reaction that often occurred in groups of men that were loyal to their commander. Even the Bottweilers appeared more fierce than mechanical constructs should. A wave of relief surged through Killgore. It was a good thing he had taken Cross with him on the shuttle so he could stand at his side. Between Killgore and his pet Samisdat, he was fairly certain they could handle the squad. Well, maybe not. Campion had been a good man and deadly shot. It was one of the reasons Killgore had been annoyed at the man's resignation. It was a pity his stuffy moral code made him refuse to see things in more practical terms.

Killgore looked the docking bay over, seeing if there was some higher authority he could appeal to. Or bribe. Money opened as many doors as keys. But there was no one to be found. That meant appealing to Campion's better nature. "Now, now, I've done nothing wrong in any official capacity anywhere."

"It depends on where you're talking from. I know plenty of people that would like to see you dead for the things you've done," Campion said.

"But none around here," Killgore retorted. "Look, I'm not here to cause trouble. All I want are some supplies and I'll be on my way. Do you have any official reason for banning me from a space station I've never even been to located in a system I've flown through maybe four times in my entire life?"

Campion's mechanical jaw tightened.

Killgore congratulated himself on his strategy. One drawback to a strong moral code was that it could be used against you. "Unless you're abusing your power here, I don't see how you can ban me."

Campion's jaw loosened slightly. All but snarling, he bit out, "You're right. I have no reason to currently kick you off the station. But if you so much as spit on the ground, you'll be tossed out an airlock."

"Don't worry. I'll behave myself," Killgore assured him.

Now Campion's snarl changed into a smile. "And to make sure of that, you will have an escort assigned to you."

Campion snapped his fingers. Four of the men and two of the Bottweilers stood at attention. They flanked Killgore and Cross, not coming close enough to violate their personal space either.

"This is harassment," Killgore said.

Campion shook his head. "This is a precaution, which I am allowed to take with my authority as chief of station security. But don't worry, I'm sure since you plan to just pick up some supplies, there won't be any problems. After all, you plan on 'behaving' as you mentioned earlier."

"Of course," Killgore said just as pleasantly. It looked like Campion couldn't let bygones be bygones. It was a pity, but not unexpected. The same fate would have befallen any of the crew that had traveled to the station. And any more than two people landing might have made Campion suspicious enough to throw them off on principle.

Now Killgore and Cross had become something of a lightning rod when it came to attention. All of Campion's thoughts and forces would be focused on him, giving the pair of men hidden in the underside of the ship time to extricate themselves in peace and sneak around to investigate Zeiram's shuttle. If that proved fruitless, they would stake it out in the hopes of taking care of Professor Scorphius should he return.

It would also free up Yuri and Iria and allow them to poke around the station without anyone looking over their shoulders. Given both his wife and the troubleshooter's past records, he had a feeling they would be bringing the Zeiram matter to a head long before his men could do anything about it.

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Macon Reece scratched his forehead in annoyance and looked the documentation over. Everything seemed to be in order, with all of the appropriate files and lines filled in, but there was something about the delivery that bothered him. "I'm not sure about this. It says we're only expecting some bulbs from Seti-Beta 9 and some insecticide sprays."

"That's what I got," the man said.

"This crate's ten-by-ten and weighs over a ton," Reece pointed out.

"Packing materials to make sure nothing happens to the items," the man explained.

Dissatisfied, Reece looked more closely over the man who had delivered the crate. He was hardly suspicious in appearance. He was an older fellow, a bit pale, which was to be expected to space longhaulers, since they got so little proper UV radiation being cooped up in their ships all the time. He was a touch on the paunchy side, and dressed in the same baggy brown coveralls that seemed to be universal among longhaulers. He was hardly intimidating or odd. The only peculiar thing about him was his smile. He smiled too much for someone delivering a handful of goods halfway across the universe. It was unsettling, like something wasn't right with the man.

"Let's get this over with," Reece's partner, Cole complained.

Reece tried blowing off the comment. That was classic Cole. He complained about everything. The man took no pride whatsoever in his work. True, they were little more than a couple of heavy labor personnel for YSC's Experimental Agricultural Facility #12, but that was no excuse for doing shoddy work.

"I have to check this out with my supervisor," Reece finally decided. Mr. Nuccio was very specific about being notified concerning anything unusual. He liked tight security, and was a very secretive person as well. Everything in the laboratories was off limits to any non-cleared personnel, which was anyone that worked outside the labs. Reece considered it odd to have that much security for a mere agricultural testing lab, but what did he know about agriculture? Maybe they had finally developed the better tomato, and were ready to make trillions once they released it for the mass market.

"Give me a break," Cole complained again. "I hate that guy. He's always complaining about how we're too lax and don't run around like a chicken with its head cut off, like he does."

Reece shut out the whining voice of his partner and dialed the code to the supervisor's number. There was only static in response.

Reece struck the communicator against the crate. "Odd. I can't get through."

"It's probably magnetic interference, again," Cole said. "That happens all the time now. I don't know what they hell they're experimenting on that would involve magnetics."

"They're probably not really an agricultural testing facility, and instead are using that as a cover for developing global killing superweapons," the longhauler said.

Both men stared at the man.

Cole rolled his eyes, "God save me from conspiracy theorists. The next thing you'll suggest is the 3WA is really a cover for a bunch of humanoid supremacists and that the Dirty Pair are their method of exterminating undesirable species." He turned to Reece. "Look, our shift ends in twenty minutes. Do you want to hang around here and not get paid for it when the boss decides we were intentionally screwing around trying to get overtime? His stuff's in order. It scans fine. Someone was anal about the product not getting damaged in transit, which happens all the time. Just sign off on it so we can move it down to storage."

"Right," Reece finally relented. He didn't want to, but it was either that or have to listen to Cole complain for not just the next twenty minutes, but the next two days about Reece's paranoia and how he'd never get a girl because of it. And hearing the longhauler actually voice something that outrageous made Reece realized just how paranoid he was being. Reece had seen some of the botanists on the staff. The only threat they represented to anyone was boring innocents to death by talking about plants.

Reece signed off on the item. He and Cole would have just enough time to move it to the storage center with the rest of the fertilizers before the next shift came on.

xxxxxxxxxx

"This is turning into a real bust," Yuri complained as they walked through the corridors of the station. Since the docking ring was segregated from the space station proper, the only way to get to it was through tunnels that were monitored, guarded, and had big thick doors that prevented anyone having no business in the docking ring sectors from being there. The only way to get to them from the station itself would probably have been via extravehicular space walk, and neither she nor Iria had a spacesuit.

"I told you his intel was crap," Iria repeated yet again. She did it every time they investigated anywhere and it yielded nothing.

"Maybe you're right," Yuri finally relented. All they were doing was wasting their time. There was no Zeiram here. There wasn't anything of remote interest either. Not even many cute guys. Maybe the shopping district would turn up something worth buying. Yuri needed a new red dress. Her last one had been sort of torn up in a knife fight while working undercover on their last mission. Something with frills maybe. And sequins. Sequins were making a comeback in some areas of the galaxy.

"He was deliberately feeding us false information. He's up to something. We should ditch him," Iria said bitterly.

Yuri sighed and turned on her reluctant partner. "We are not breaking our alliance based on one little problem with misinformation. God, you sound like a little child, constantly whining and complaining about having to hang out with her younger brother or something. You do not have to sleep with him. You don't even have to talk with him. I'll do it. So why don't you just knock off the attitude? "

Iria turned bright red at the accusation. "You don't know anything! You weren't married to him!"

"If you were this bitchy back then, I'm not surprised he dumped you."

"He did not dump me! I dumped him!"

"I..." Yuri stopped as something just over Iria's shoulder had caught her attention. It was an older man, dressed in a pair of worn coveralls. The moment he came around the corner of the passageway, he had flinched slightly. While he had continued on his way, he had turned in such a way that he was avoiding looking at the women.

Yuri's investigative training came to the fore. In a public argument like she and Iria were having, the natural response would have been to stare in curiosity at first, then either continue staring or turn away. But he hadn't quite done that. He had wanted to avoid them the instant he laid eyes on them.

Yuri looked closer at him. It had been a fleeting glance, and she could have been wrong, but she hadn't thought so. Her eyes carefully dissected his appearance. The coveralls were baggy, loose fitting, as though the man had lost a great deal of weight and hadn't had a chance to update his wardrobe. He was older, but not too old. Very pale, almost ghostlike. That alone would eliminate him from the one they were looking for, since the man they were looking for was only several shades away from jet black. And besides, what were the odds that in all of the people on the station, the one they were looking for would stumble upon them? And why would he dress like some common laborer? It didn't make any sense. Except, he wasn't exactly laboring. He wasn't carrying anything at the moment. He was actually...

Yuri drew the pistol she had palmed off the security officer, aimed it at the laborer, and shouted, "Scorphius!"

As she hoped, the man jerked reflexively, in the way people did when they heard their name called out, rather than simple shock at a loud noise. She drew a careful bead upon him. "Hands up where I can see them!"

Without question or hesitation, Iria drew her pistol and aimed at him. Upon taking a closer look, she informed Yuri, "He doesn't look like the guy." Whatever doubts she stated openly, she still kept the gun trained on him.

Convinced their prey wouldn't try anything, Yuri said loudly enough for the man to hear, "He might be some hot shot genius when it comes to Bunsen burners and genetic engineering, but he sure sucks at disguises."

"Oh?" Iria asked, her eyes trying to pierce through this one.

"His hands."

Iria looked at them and noted they didn't match the skin tone of the face, but did look dark enough to belong to the man they were looking for "I see what you mean."

The man stared at the appendages in question. He gave a tired sigh. "It's always the little details one overlooks. Might I be allowed to disengage the hologram inducer? It make everything look a hazy shade of white from my point of view."

"Go ahead. But no funny stuff. In case you didn't notice, you have two weapons ready to perforate you if you make a wrong move," Yuri warned. While everything she said was obvious, past experience taught her it never hurt to confirm what a suspect already believed.

The man reached for his name tag. Immediately his face changed from that of a pale Caucasian to a far darker shade, and his features altered, allowing Yuri and Iria to recognize him as Professor Anton Scorphius.

Yuri smirked in triumph. Kei was going to be so angry that she missed out on her busting the case all on her own. Yuri would not allow her partner to live this one down for a long time to come.

The troubleshooter began, "All right, you're going-"

"Where's Zeiram?" Iria interrupted.

Yuri gave her a cross look. There was no bounty on Scorphius. This was Yuri's jurisdiction, especially since she was the one that had pierced the disguise.

Before she could reprimand her temporary partner for trying to seize control of the situation, Scorphius answered. "Zeiram? You mean the divine sword of justice that has been created solely to mete out the retribution those that have enslaved the universe so righteously deserve? He is here. He is there. He'll be everywhere, striking down the enemies of the universe."

"Oh great, religious fanatic," Yuri moaned. She hated them, largely because when they ended up on the losing side of a fight, they had a bad tendency to try to martyr themselves, hoping to take their enemies with them. Invariably, Yuri and Kei were at the head of the list.

Scorphius snorted derisively at the accusation. "There is no god, woman. Deities are myths created to control others through doctrine and propaganda. My only religion is freedom, freedom from the yoke of tyranny placed upon the shoulders of the people of the galaxy."

"I... see," Yuri said.

"Don't be condescending, woman!" Scorphius snapped. "You're just like the rest of the brainwashed masses throughout the universe."

"And the masses are being enslaved by...?" Yuri prodded.

"The greatest threat the galaxy has ever known. Interstellar corporations."

Now Yuri got it. Anti-capitalist, who tended to be just as frothing at the mouth rabid as any fire and brimstone preacher. She had run into some of those as well, along with a smattering of actual power mongers running some of the interstellar corporations they hated. Her job had allowed her to meet all sorts of interesting people, frequently killing them. "Which is why you've targeted YSC. The folks your family helped found and who, until recently, you were working for."

"Blame me not for the sins of my fathers," Scorphius stated in cold terms. "And I only worked for them until an opportunity presented itself to enable me to free the masses that had been enslaved under those like YSC. They are the very worst of the lot, the head of the snake that orders the other bodies to obey its whims. It's like a hydra, save in reverse. Once I crush the head, the bodies will flail about until they too are destroyed one by one by my divine sword. Only then will true freedom be established."

"So you are the one pulling Zeiram's strings," Iria stated, the coldness in her voice matching the fanaticism in Scorphius' own.

Scorphius smiled. "Oh yes, my sword is sharp and his aim true. Zeiram is a relentless creature who will destroy all in its path. It will not stop until it has consumed everything that is, for that is the very nature of the beast. That is why it exists. To destroy those that stand against my divine cause. What better weapon to use in beheading the evil monsters that would consume the universe than something nature created in their image?"

"For someone that's trying to 'free the masses', you're going around killing an awful lot of them," Yuri spat, remembering the scenes of carnage she had been following in the creature's wake.

Scorphius glared at her. "They are the enablers that allow the interstellar corporations to rule over us all. Without them, the corporations are nothing. Theirs is guilt by association, and they too must pay until they stop feeding the monsters and realize that they must rise up and throw down the chains they place willingly upon themselves like mindless sheep. Generations that have been encouraged to be slaves can only receive enlightenment through acts that will gain their attention and put everything in its proper perspective."

"No matter how many of them have to die." This man made Yuri sick. She resisted the urge to gun him down on the spot. There were still too many questions left unanswered. "For someone who hates corporations, you sure do seem to work for a lot of them. First YSC, then Tormond. Sounds to me like you're either a lunatic or a hypocrite, and I don't care for either one."

Scorphius stared curiously at her. "What do you me-"

"Freeze!" Came a voice from directly behind Yuri and Iria.

They afforded each other a glance, then looked over their shoulders to see a young security officer pointing a laser pistol, identical to Yuri's purloined one, back and forth between them, unable to decide which was more dangerous. Standing next to him, ready to pounce at a moment's notice, was yet another Bottweiler.

"Put the guns down!" the guard ordered.

All fanaticism left Scorphius' eyes as he suddenly broke down and said, "Thank goodness you're here, officer. These woman threatened to kill me."

Yuri was astounded at the quick emotional change. Usually those sorts of lunatics couldn't knock themselves out of their loop once there were entrenched in it. Still, she had more important things to worry about, like the gun aimed at her by a young, shaky, security guard. "I'm a troubleshooter with the 3WA. This is a criminal that I just arrested."

"She lies," Scorphius said. "No one is allowed to carry weapons on this station, save you security people, yet both she and her companion, who you'll note is not wearing a troubleshooter disguise, are murderers that intended to rob and kill me."

"Put the guns down," the guard repeated.

Yuri and Iria let their guns drop to their feet.

"You're making a mistake," Yuri said. "This is the bad guy, not us."

Now that the women were weaponless, the guard relaxed somewhat. "No one's going anywhere until this gets straightened out." He pulled out a comlink and requested back up for his position.

Scorphius clucked sadly as he scratched his chest. "It's too bad about the Bottweilers."

All eyes turned to him in curiosity.

"What about them?" the guard asked.

"While this station wasn't created by YSC, they were. You see, there's this problem they have that's been kept secret from the public. They have this slight design flaw in their programming. Whenever their sensors pick up a variable high frequency wave length in the ten quian range, they tend to run out of control and attack anyone and everything around them."

Scorphius' scratching stopped once his fingers came to his left vest pocket. Instead the scratching became a push.

Instantly, the Bottweiler howled and shook its head back and forth. The guard looked at it in stunned silence.

"Shoot it!" Yuri shouted.

The guard had just started to react when the Bottweiler, snarling, leaped upon him. The heavy robot frame was too much for him to bear, and he was instantly pinned on his back. His cry of pain was cut short as the robot ripped his neck apart with his teeth.

Yuri and Iria were in motion the instant the Bottweiler had attacked the guard. They picked up their pistols and aimed at the attacking robot. Seeing it crush the guard's neck, they no longer concerned themselves with a stray shot hitting the man and immediately opened fire.

Four shots struck the body squarely. Its heavy armor bore the brunt of the blasts, suffering only a slight amount of damage. It turned toward them howling as two devices, resembling small wheels with open holes along their edges, revealed themselves from concealed sections of the shoulders.

"Slug thrower!" Yuri shouted as she fired several more times. One of the shots hit the Bottweiler squarely in its open mouth even as a single yellow bolt went out from the left shoulder weapon mount . The blast entered the mouth and went out the back, sending a spray of sparks shooting out the mouth as the Bottweiler froze up.

The single bolt hit Iria in the leg. However, luck was with the bounty hunter as rather than exploding, the hardened cartridge deflected off the armor rather than hitting solidly. It chromed off her leg, knocking her limb out from under her, and embedded itself in the wall where a miniature explosion punched through a couple of inches of the plating.

Yuri put several more rounds into the open mouth, where smoke and sparks poured from the aperture, blowing the head clean off. Satisfied it wouldn't be reactivating anytime soon, Yuri moved closer to Iria and examined her for injuries.

"I'm okay. Armor stood up to the shot." Iria hit the leg guard that had deflected the slug and shook her leg around, making sure there was no physical damage.

"That goodness, I..." It suddenly occurred to Yuri she was forgetting something.

Iria reacted to the hesitation first. "Scorphius!"

They both turned to see the man was long since gone.

"Shit, now we have to find him again," Yuri moaned as she chose the direction he had been heading in rather than the one where he had come from. Iria followed, thinking the logic sound.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Heading in the opposite direction of the women, Anton Scorphius congratulated himself. Preparation was the key to success. Not only would the Bottweiler prevent the women from pursuing, delaying them if not killing them outright, but thanks to his foresight, he had hacked into the announcement system and slaved the emitter to it. That meant the signal had been broadcast throughout the station, causing all the robots to run amuck. The ensuing chaos would serve him well as both the security forces and anyone else out to capture him would find their hands full with a hundred homicidal robots rampaging throughout the station. While there was some risk to him (he had not been joking when he claimed they were out of control) there was an easy solution to that problem. All Scorphius had to do was avoid them until he could rendezvous with a certain someone who was far more dangerous than any mere robot.

He pulled a special datapad from his coverall's leg pocket, entered a thirteen digit code, then spoke into it.

"Zeiram, old boy, it's time to wake up and grab what we came for."

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Once the oversized crate was lowered to its proper place, Cole pushed the retraction button, allowing it to be offloaded from the hoverlift it had been stored on. He made a great production of looking at his watch. "There, told you we'd get it done, and just in the nick of time." He hopped off the hoverlift and headed for the exit.

"Let me just mark it off as in place," Reece said as he walked over to the crate and aimed his laser reader at the code on the side.

The code disappeared before his eyes as the metal was shredded from the inside. Reece saw what looked like a giant green hand speeding toward his head before he found his vision blocked off by the appendage as it completely engulfed his skull.

He had just enough time to process the sound of his cranium breaking before his brain ceased functioning. It, along with the shattered bits of bone flowed between the oversized fingers of the green giant's hand.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hearing the Bottweiler's disturbing howl, and seeing it go wild, electrocuting several shoppers coming out of a store, Killgore knew something had gone horribly wrong. Whether it was due to Zeiram, Scorphius, or Yuri's Dirty Pair curse, he didn't know. What he was certain of was that something had to be done before he became a statistic, like the pedestrians that were hit with several flechette rounds and ended up sliced into indescribable masses of blood, bone, and entrails.

Mercenary reflexes took over as Killgore said, "Excuse me," to the security guard that was standing paralyzed next to him.

The man didn't have time to do anything as Killgore punched him in the throat, then struck him again with an elbow to the jaw, knocking him out.

Before the other three men with them could react to the attack, Cross was in motion. A trio of blows were delivered so swiftly that the third man was unconscious before the first hit the ground.

Killgore bent over the man he had knocked out and grabbed his pistol. He'd have to remember to thank Campion later for providing him with a weapon, though he doubted if his former employee would appreciate the irony, considering how determined he was to see to it Killgore had no weapons.

"Incoming!" Cross warned as the Bottweiler that had been pulverizing passersby changed its target to the pair of men.

Cross cut left, drawing its attention as flechettes began flying. He ducked behind a large stonework ornament that depicted some regional VIP. The small pieces of high velocity metal disfigured the stonework, quickly making it resemble an amorphous blob rather than anything that could be called human.

Seeing its firestorm had no effect, the flechette weapon retreated into the robot, and a pair of large electrodes emerged from the neck, arcing electricity between them.

Killgore took the opportunity to aim carefully. He fired three times in rapid succession. All three shots were true as they struck the thin part of the Bottweiler's right foreleg. The robot collapsed, a bolt of electricity going high instead of low, reducing the head of the statue to powder.

With the robot largely immobilized, Killgore took his time as he poured flashes of red into the head of the unit until nothing was left but twisted metal and lubricant spraying up in the air, dousing the silver of its metallic skin with black.

Admiring his handiwork, Killgore lowered his weapon as Cross came out from his hiding spot. At the same moment, a second Bottweiler, bouncing back and forth in what appeared to be a delightful dance, spotted him.

"Look out!" Killgore warned as he brought the pistol up. However, the unpredictable dance of the robot, combined with the angle it was approaching his compatriot, made it difficult to aim. Twice Killgore fired, each shot just missing.

Instead of trying to run, Cross remained standing still, giving his profile to the bouncing robot.

The Bottweiler opened its mouth and roared as it leapt at Cross. Coolly, he sidestepped it at the last instant, bringing his hand up in a flash as the robot bounded past, touching his neck in some way.

Rather than turning around, it bellowed once, then fell forward, face down into the deck plating.

Killgore moved closer, wondering exactly what had happened. Cross was staring mournfully at something in his hand, and the robot had ceased functioning for some reason. It was only as he drew closer that Killgore saw the broken end of a blade protruding from a small, almost nonexistent, line where two of the armor plates met. Looking more closely, he saw that it was at an articulated joint where the armor would normally overlap. The only reason the vulnerable spot had appeared was because the robot had been extended in a leap. Killgore found himself impressed once again with Cross' assassin skills, and was glad they were on the same side.

Killgore whistled appreciatively. "Nice work."

Cross continued staring mournfully at the hilt in his hand. "That was one of my favorite knives."

"How'd you get it past the body check?"

"I slipped it on the guy when he first started searching me, and grabbed it back when he was finished. It was easy. He seemed unnerved and was paying more attention to me than where he was searching."

"Probably from the fact you were making goo-goo eyes at him," Killgore remarked.

"He was cute, but mostly I did it so he wouldn't pay attention to what I was doing," Cross confessed.

With a momentary lull in the action, Killgore went to his comlink and activated it. "Hey, Sunshine, you okay? Campion's friendly neighborhood Bottweilers seem to have developed a slight glitch and are killing everything on sight."

"Drop dead," was the response he received before the link went silent.

"Good, she's all right," Killgore confirmed, setting the comlink to a different frequency. "Mari, Lupe, are you in position?"

A woman's voice answered, "We're watching the Zeiram shuttle now, but something weird's going on. People are running to their ships and heading off station as fast as they can. Like there's been a breakout of Tuerettes or something. They aren't even waiting for proper clearance. Is something going on?"

"Runaway Bottweilers. Watch out for them," Killgore warned, "But stay with the ship. Me and Cross are heading to the Agricultural Center. It has to be Scorphius target. If he slips past us, it'll be up to you to stop him. Killgore out."

"Now we have greater freedom of movement," Cross said as he retrieved a couple of guns of the unconscious guards.

"Except for the Bottweilers," Killgore reminded him as he began an inventory of the guards' pockets.

"It's no worse than the situation we were in on Feirlion when the Lyson Corps was hunting us down in that swamp."

"Good point," Killgore admitted. "Now let's see if we can beat the ladies and find ourselves our big bad bogeyman and the naughty scientist that woke him up."

Satisfied they were prepared any upcoming problems, the men began their search.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Killgore sensed something was amiss when he came upon the ruined remains of the Bottweiler. It wasn't that it had been destroyed; several others had been shot into pieces by the security forces, who had responded quickly to the threat of the runaway machines by forming into units with heavier weapons that could take the robots down. Killgore and Cross had upgraded their weapons in such a manner from a squad that had come out on the wrong side of an encounter with a pair of Bottweilers. Despite the force's training, it appeared they were fighting a losing battle against the robots that seemed to be everywhere.

No, what was disturbing about the robot's remains was the fact there was a large hole in its chest, as though something had been driven through the metal with great force.

Cross closely examined the hole. "Hmm, no scoring around the surface of the damage. Armor is rent as though it was a solid object which punctured the armor." He stuck his head inside the hole. "Well, not only is there no projectile in here, but something seems to have removed both its flechette launcher and the independent power supply to it."

"Weapon upgrade for Big Z," Killgore sighed. He looked up and down the corridor. "The only question is, was he coming or going?"

"Only one way to find out," Cross said. "Should we call the ladies for backup?"

"Not until we confirm he's up ahead and we need the backup. We didn't tell them where he was heading for obvious reasons."

The pair moved forward more cautiously than before. They stuck to the sides of the corridor, moving slowly until they came upon the entryway to YSC's Experimental Agricultural Facility #12.

"Going," Cross said as he spotted the remains of some unfortunate soul, as well as the fact all the debris indicated Zeiram had emerged from here, rather than entering.

Killgore activated his comlink again. "Mari, Lupe, do you read me?" There was no response.

Killgore exchanged a look with Cross. He repeated the question to the comlink several times, but only static answered him. He switched channels. "Destiny, this is Killgore, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Sir," came the response.

"Have you spotted the Zeiram ship leaving the facility?"

There was a hesitation before the response. "We can't be certain, Sir. A lot of vehicles have been pouring out of the station for some time. Real reckless, too. There were a number of collisions, which produced a good bit of debris and even more accidents. In all the jumble, it could easily have slipped past without us noticing. It's a real mess out there. Do you want us to try and force our way in?"

"No," Killgore said in a tired voice, knowing their prey had eluded their grasp. "Once things settle down, we'll rendezvous with you. Killgore out."

"What next?" Cross asked.

Killgore stared at the path of destruction leading from the agricultural facility. "We go through the records and try to figure out exactly what Scorphius wanted from here?"

"Oh?" Cross asked.

"He changed his method of operations after knocking over that YSC liner. It didn't occur to me until after he didn't hit either Baltron or Omicron 4 that the reason he did it was because of something he found on that liner. This was the liner's destination. Since he didn't come in here, guns blazing like he did with most of the others, that meant he's after more than scorching earth. I want to know what it was. So we'll use our passcodes to lift the information from this little black op, then ask our employers the same thing and see if they're being on the up and up with us."

"And the women?" Cross asked.

Killgore smiled. "I don't think there's any need to burden them with details. All they're interested in is Zeiram, after all. We'll let them know where he's going to hit next after we figure it out ourselves."

Cross pouted, "I still say we don't need them. We can handle this ourselves. We haven't even gone head to head with the beastie."

"Colon did, and look what happened to him and his unit. I'd say Mari and Lupe would agree, too. You can't have too much firepower when it comes to Zeiram. Everyone that's met him agrees to that. Now come on, we have some information to download."

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"I hate this!" Yuri snarled through her panting.

"I don't exactly consider this an ideal situation either." Iria slumped against a metal heap that had once been a Bottweiler.

"How many of these things have we taken out?" Yuri asked.

Iria paused to count. "Eleven, counting 'The Gimp' here." She slapped the pile of parts she was resting against. She had nicknamed it that because they had blown off all of its legs before immobilizing it enough to finish it off.

"They must have bought them wholesale or something," Yuri bemoaned. This was another reason she disliked dogs and preferred felines, like Mughi.

Yuri ran a hand through her hair, then realized a breeze was cooling off her sweat slickened body. "That feels nice," she said.

"What does?" Iria asked.

"The breeze."

"Breeze? We're on a space station."

Both of them sat bolt upright.

"Seal's popped somewhere and the place is decompressing. I've felt it before." Usually on space stations she and Kei had visited, right before the people they were pursuing caused said decompression.

Iria's comlink buzzed. She activated it.

Killgore's voice emitted from the unit. "Bad news, Sunshine. Apparently some idiot using a meteor hauler, one of the deep space ones that's three times as big as the normal ones, was parked in the docking ring and panicked. He tried heading out before detaching all the umbilicals to his vehicle. He pulled off a big piece of the docking ring, the one with my shuttle on it. It then collided with the hauler, and both the section and the hauler collided with the station itself. My men on the Destiny say it's terminal damage and that space station could implode at any time. We'll meet you at the Creeper. Killgore out."

Yuri looked sadly at the carnage, death, and destruction surrounding her. "Another space station that I was visiting destroyed. I'm going to get blamed for this one too."

Iria was already on her feet and heading toward the docking ring. "Come on, we have to get going. If we hurry, we might get lucky."

"You mean we'll get off the station before it's destroyed?"

"I mean we'll get off the station before Lance gets to my ship."

Yuri rolled her eyes. She didn't bother mentioning she wouldn't let Iria leave without the men. Besides, if she had judged Killgore correctly, he had already anticipated Iria's reaction and was already waiting at the ship. He seemed to have a good idea of how his ex-wife reacted to most situations that involved him and her.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Almost made it, too," Iria grumbled well out of earshot of the two passengers in the back of the ship.

Yuri ignored the whining about Killgore and Cross already waiting on the dock for them. Instead she opted to stare out the viewport as the space station already began lurching in its death throes. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. At least they hadn't lost any planets on this mission.

At least, not yet.

"Do you think Zeiram was still on it?" Yuri asked hopefully.

"We can confirm that his ship had departed before the collision. I think it's safe to assume he was on it rather than the station," Killgore answered.

"I knew that." Yuri sighed. It was never that easy.

So, once again Yuri had to deal with rampaging robots, giant monsters, exploding space stations, and no romantic interests. Part of the problem was, the situation was not unusual for her, just frustrating. Living in 'interesting times' was never a good thing, in her opinion.

Yuri's earlier amusement at Kei's being sent off to the middle of nowhere turned into resentment. It wasn't fair that Kei could loaf around on her ass while Yuri was stuck doing all the dirty work.

She was really going to let Kei have it when she got back.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[End Notes]

At last, a new chapter after several years of the fic lying dormant. There will probably be a slight delay between the release of this and the next chapter, since I need to do some work for a friend of mine and make sure the story I'm writing is delivered in a timely fashion. We'll deal with Kei and what she was up to next chapter.

Special thanks to:  
Chris Horton Ucchan DB Sommer


	8. Chapter 8

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot Chapter 8

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A special nod to Mike Baron for the joke in one of the later parts. People that read 'Badger' will know what I mean.

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Kei felt like ramming her face into the flight console as her ship hung motionless in space, a miniature star to those a hundred kilometers away, and invisible to any beyond that. It wasn't her fault her ship was so insignificant. The independent, single person spacecraft that had been issued to the Lovely Angel was embarrassing, and would never have seen service if the company that manufactured them hadn't given the 3WA such a good deal on selling them in bulk.

The rounded vehicle resembled a silvery beach ball and had earned the ignominious nickname 'Bouncer' since it looked like it could bounce off anything it crashed into. Kei could testify firsthand that was not the case, and their hull would buckle under a direct impact the same way any other vehicle's would. She detested the damn things, from their uncomfortable seats to their comical look to their lack of decent weaponry. All it had was a lousy single-barreled laser ball turret mounted on the bottom. It could barely be called a weapon. Opening the cockpit and using her sidearm would be almost as effective. All right, the vehicle wasn't intended for combat, just light travel, but they could have placed something with more kick on board.

Kei wouldn't have been so frustrated if those idiots at 3WA Headquarters had agreed to her request and requisitioned her one of those new single-seater Mustangs. Now there was a true one person spacecraft. Some technician had used a throwback design reminiscent of the early Earth propeller driven aircraft of the same name innumerable centuries ago. They were armed with six forward laser cannon mounted in the wings, a pair of plasma cannon in the nose, and still had room for missiles! It was the perfect single pilot fighter craft as far as Kei was concerned. So what if the Lovely Angel's bay didn't have enough room to launch one? They could have modified it or something. How much could retrofitting it really cost?

While Kei waited, she idly stared off into the distance at the refueling station suspended above one of the moons circling Karpathia, the single gas giant planet at the edge of the system Myce was located in. While the Bouncer's fuel capacity wasn't the greatest, she still had enough that she could have flown straight through and refueled planetside while she was on her mission, but the rates were cheaper in orbit and headquarters had been getting on everyone's cases about needless fuel expenses.

So, being the responsible agent she was, Kei waited among the numerous space vehicles that surrounded the ten mile long pylons that spun around each other like a giant mobile above a child's crib. Each of the pylons had a number of spacecraft attached, pumping the craft full of whatever type of fuel they needed. Further away, at a safe distance, she could just make out large containers, each miles long and linked umbilically together, that stored the bulk of the fuel supply. Once the pylon stations emptied their stores, a container would be brought up and used to refueled each pylon. It was a sound and simple operation, but the station could only handle so much traffic at one time. Currently Kei had been waiting for two hours, going on three, to get a position at one of the 'pumps'. It was infuriating.

The anger made Kei more irritable. She hated this. Why the hell did Iria feel compelled to send her to Myce and force her to personally deliver information to this super hacker when Yuri could have done the job? Or better yet, simply send him the information over sub-space channels like any normal person would? Iria was just being paranoid about their information being compromised, even if it felt like someone was one step ahead of them in the race to kill Zeiram.

To make things worse, Kei just knew that in her absence Yuri was going to slut her way into Killgore's bed. It wasn't fair! Kei wanted to do it first. Though with more style than Yuri would, of course. She was a lot classier than her partner was. Yuri might have put on the airs of a discriminating connoisseur, but was in reality little better than a common streetwalker when it came to men. Kei was much more discerning, though it did feel like forever since she had been with a guy, and the whole birthday thing had taken its toll on her feminine pride. Killgore would have been the perfect cure for that, aside from being Iria's ex-husband and everything. But really, that was a minor sticking point. Just because it hadn't work out for those two didn't mean it would be the same for Kei and Killgore. Anything was possible.

Except it wasn't possible at the moment, since she was stuck in the middle of nowhere, destined to rendezvous with a cyber-geek whose acquaintance with the female gender was through pixels rather than actual flesh. Her life was really sickening. It was enough to give her a mid-life crisis at the age of thirty-four.

Kei looked impatiently at her chronometer. Saving money wasn't worth the wait. If those service station idiots didn't call her ship in the next five minutes, she would head toward Myce. Besides, what difference did saving a few credit chips mean when the Lovely Angel was going to need a complete overhaul anyway?

Just as she charged up her engine, a movement from the rear caught her eye. Someone behind her was moving toward the station. That was odd. Given his position, he would have dropped out of hyperspace after her, and had a longer wait than she did. At least he better have. If he had some connection that enabled him to cut in front and get refueled before her, she'd close the whole operation down for illegal business practices. No one line-jumped Kei and got away with it. No one.

As the ship drew nearer, Kei drew a visual on it and her jaw nearly dropped. It was one of those Mustangs she had just been fantasizing about. She practically drooled at the sight of elegant death as it made a direct line toward her. Seeing it in real life made the promotional sale holos of it pale in comparison. Once the mission was completed and she returned to headquarters, it didn't matter who she had to kiss up to; she was having one of those beauties permanently assigned to her.

It was as she genuflected in the spacecraft's presence that something about its approach vector that tickled at her conscience. If she didn't know any better, she would have sworn it was heading toward her rather than the refueling station. And the way it was swooping in, it was identical to an attack run she would use if her Bouncer was the target.

Reflexes took over as Kei fired up her already primed engines. The ship lurched forward the instant she hit the button. One thing the Bouncer had going for it was an ultra-fast reaction time.

Kei's one concession toward her vehicle's prowess proved to be the difference between life and death as a sextet of ruby colored lances of energy filled the space her vehicle had occupied a moment earlier. The Mustang, closing so quickly at with what had been a stationary object, swooped past before it could fire a second volley.

The whine of the Bouncer's engines filled the cockpit as they reached their maximum output. Kei tried following the Mustang in order to turn from hunted to hunter. Much to her annoyance the pilot's skills were sufficient to prevent that as he banked his craft and returned to his 'kill' position on Kei's tail. She had no choice but to run in the hopes he would provide an opening for her.

Numerous bolts of energy flew past Kei's vehicle, crimson streaks sailing off into the distance only to disappear into the darkness of space. Her vehicle was small, made a pitiful target profile, and was as nimble as a grasshopper trapped on a hotplate. She evaded the hail of fire using her own considerable skills picked up from years of dealing with people trying to kill her.

The bolts drew closer as the enemy pilot began to take her maneuverability into account. Worse, Kei knew that if she remained in open space, and if her foe had a halfway decent targeting system, it would eventually lock onto her and all of the dodging in the universe wouldn't do her a bit of good. She used her own defenses to pivot her ball turret around so she could retaliate while fleeing. Unfortunately, the enemy fighter easily dodged her pitiful return fire, his wings continuing to spit red death at her. The action would only buy her a few extra seconds. She needed to come up with an alternate solution. While she couldn't negate the pilot's skills, she could deal with the targeting system.

The Bouncer rumbled as Kei made a power dive and headed toward the pylons that hung in space above the moon. More lances of energy peppered space around her. With their change of position, instead of disappearing into the void, they continued onward until they struck one of the rotating pylons in space, melting the hull and causing the exterior to bubble where they hit.

So much for hoping this guy had a code against firing among civilians. Kei would have preferred to not fly among the station and numerous ships surrounding it like flies around carrion, but it was her only hope. If the enemy pilot had her in open space for more than a minute, she was dead. It was his fault for pulling the trigger. The only thing she was guilty of was trying to survive.

Within seconds Kei found herself among the densest swarm of ships surrounding the station. Some of the pilots of the ships, upon discovering someone was opening fire in their area, chose to pull away from the station. Not bothering to clear their flight paths, they immediately began colliding with one another, causing more damage amongst their number than the lasers could have done in twice the time.

Kei was in the middle of the veritable flotilla, continuing to duck and weave both enemy fire and the increasing number of ships that were trying to flee. With that kind of chaos, there was no way the targeting system could lock down on her. The enemy pilot would have to blow her out of the sky using only hand-eye coordination, and do it while weaving among the ships himself.

Unfortunately, her opponent stuck to her tail despite her evasive maneuvering. The best she could manage was open the range between them slightly. And the laser fire kept drawing closer, regardless, though every stray shot seemed to hit something. More ships blew up, and the refueling station suffered more damage as chunks of it floated off into space. Kei upped the assessment of her opponent from 'pretty good' to 'combat experience' flying. It was a good thing she had a lot as well, or she would have been atomized by now.

She followed up the side of each pylon, hugging the surface in order to avoid a target lock. She jumped from one to the next in the hopes of shaking her pursuer loose and turning the tables on him. Still he persisted, following her while maintaining his high rate of fire. There was no way even a normal Mustang could blast away like that without depleting its energy banks. It had to have been modified for heavy combat, indicating whoever had come after her had money as well as top notch training. It would narrow down the list of potential suspects once she got rid of her pursuer, because whoever had sicced this bastard on her was going to pay.

After finishing with the latest pylon, Kei suddenly found herself clear of the station's structure. She was unable to circle back around due to several crashes that had occurred in space since the dogfight began. The obstructions forced her away from the protection of the station and the cover it provided. The Mustang remained hot on her tail as she emerged into clear space.

Suddenly her foe began to drop back. Kei smiled as she figured he must have hit the limit on his engines, perhaps overheating them, or foolishly draining them of too much energy if he had rigged his engine and guns to the same power supply. That was the way most people rewired things in order to increase their firepower.

Her joy at what appeared to be an advantage disappeared as she saw two previously unnoticed cylinders detach themselves from the fighter and speed forward, orange plumes of fire spitting from their rears. It only took her a moment to realize the distancing was intentional. He had wanted enough room for the missiles' independent targeting systems to lock on her before sending them into her oversized ball.

This was bad. They had to have been seekers of some kind, and given the quality of the equipment used against her so far, probably damn good ones. She didn't have any type of countermeasures in the Bouncer, other than 'move quickly back and forth and make them miss'.

Or scraping them off on something, as she saw the giant metal containers looming ahead of her. It was about time she had a bit of good luck. She had shot away from the station at just the right angle to be heading in the direction of the fuel reserves.

The missiles bore down on her, correcting their course as fast as their sensors could react to her movements and closing fast. The only thing going in her favor was that her opponent had stopped firing for fear of shooting down his own missiles. She juked and wove, forcing them to overshoot once before they arced and returned to their former trajectory. Their arcs seemed to be a touch wide. Perhaps they were using Falvaian Systems. Those always had wide arcs when course correcting. That could only help her plan.

The container became increasingly larger in the front viewport, until it took up nearly the whole thing. She was almost there. She wanted the timing to be just right. She had to be right on top of it...

At the last second, Kei veered to the left, practically losing her paint job as she came incredibly close to striking the container. But she pulled out in time, the Bouncer groaning in protest at her rough treatment of it. The missiles followed, one after another.

There was a tremendous explosion as the contents of the container exploded, taking both missiles with it. Kei gave a cheer at her ingenuity in losing the persistent buggers. She had escaped death once again with a smile on her face and a cheer on her lips. She was going to get seriously drunk when this was over with.

Lights of red cut across her path. Kei darted out of the way, but a couple glanced off the side of the Bouncer. They only inflicted the barest of superficial damage, but it was enough to make Kei curse at forgetting about the craft that had fired the missiles. The error had almost cost Kei her life, and might yet if she couldn't figure out how to down him before he did the same to her.

Again she tried outmaneuvering her foe, realizing it was only a matter of time before he got lucky again and hit something more vital on her ship. There had to be some way to lose him. There had to be.

An explosion lit the darkness of space. Kei thought at first it was the refueling station, the damage from the dogfight taking its toll. Instead she saw that it came from the direction of the exploding container. That made no sense. There had only been two missiles, and both had hit the same target. Even if there had been a third, it would have detonated long ago.

She spared a glance and noted it was the container next to the one that had already exploded. That was odd, since the distances involved should have prevented 'birthing', a term used when volley of missiles was fired at an opponent and the detonation of one would cause those next to it to explode, which in turn caused others to explode, and so on until none were left.

Then there was a third explosion from the container next to the one that had gone up. It took Kei a second to figure out what was causing the rash of detonations: the umbilical daisy-chaining the containers together. The fires must have been traveling through the connecting cable and causing them to blow up in order. They should have had automatic safety features to cut the cables loose when one of the containers exploded, and manual overrides on the station failing that. Of course, something might have gone wrong at the station, and the safeties were out of commission. Not at all impossible considering how shot up the Mustang had left them. And there were all of the ship collisions would only have worsened things.

The fourth in the line went up. It was then the plan occurred to Kei. The containers had proven useful once before. They would do so again in their death throes. She mentally calculated the timing between explosions, which was even. Yes, that might do it. If only the enemy pilot was concentrating solely on her rather than his surroundings.

Kei changed direction again and headed to the line of containers. The Mustang followed close, continuing to spit fire at her. She could still evade that, though not by much. She had to lure him in just the right spot. The only way to do that was to give him the perfect target. Her window of opportunity would be brief, and if the safeties activated and cut loose the umbilicals, it was all over for her. But it was the only chance she had left.

She saw the next one in line explode just when she thought it would. Her timing was on. She took a deep breath and spun under the next container, coming up high on the other side and heading off in a straight line. Just as she hoped, the Mustang pilot followed in her exact path rather than trying to anticipate where she was going and taking a different way. Now all she had to do was pray he didn't hit her before the final part of her plan came into effect.

He didn't as the container the Mustang flew under detonated and the fighter disappeared into the red and yellow cloud of fiery death. Kei gave a whooping war cry at the success of her plan. Only an expert like her could have timed it right while dodging heavy enemy fire. She was really going to rub Yuri's face in it when she returned to the Lovely Angel. And maybe her expertise would catch Killgore's attention and they could go out or something.

Suddenly Kei's ship was rocked by a laser blast. More crimson bolts shot past, barely missing her Bouncer. Kei once again took evasive action trying to look behind her to see who was firing.

It was the Mustang. Somehow it had survived the explosion, but just barely. It was scorched black, and she could see a good portion of its exterior was melted. One of the wings was half its original size, and fires spurted from its fuselage in various places. It was a miracle it could still fly, and looked like it would blow up or disintegrate at any minute. Only one laser was still functional, but its pilot seemed determined to carry out his assignment and end Kei's life no matter what.

"I've had enough of this!" Kei snarled, turning to meet the Mustang in a head-on trajectory. She trained her ball turret forward now that they were on even terms. She was going to take this persistent jerk down no matter what.

Both ships flew unerringly at one another, firing repeatedly but missing since each was anticipating the other would veer off in another direction. Kei grit her teeth. Now it was game of chicken. The first one to turn away would end up dead. It wouldn't be her. She had never lost a game of chicken with anyone. The opposition always turned away, since they lacked her nerves. She'd stay true and wait for her opponent to flinch. She just had to anticipate which way he'd turn and finish him.

Only he didn't change course, he kept heading straight for her as well. A small line of sweat decorated Kei's brow. Most pilots would have turned away at this point, both ships speeding toward one another, poised on the brink of mutual annihilation. This guy had nerves, to be sure.

They were almost at the point of no return. Kei concentrated. She would only get one shot before he flashed past her. She had to make it count. She held herself steady. Waiting for it. The moment was coming up.

And then it was past. Kei's eyes goggled as she spun the ship to the right. It turned just enough to strike the edge of the nearly broken wing. That it was in such bad shape and barely hanging on was the only reason her Bouncer wasn't destroyed on contact, and instead only lost 90% of its maneuvering jets and all of its communications gear.

The Mustang fared worse, the collision proving too much for its battered form to withstand. Its wing tore off, causing an explosion to rip through the side of the spacecraft. The rest went up in a ball of red and white smoke and pieces of debris were hurled off into deep space.

Kei took note of it in the back of her mind. Her ship's condition was almost as bad. The braking jets were a pale joke of what they were supposed to be, and she was moving at top speed. Systems were crashing, and she didn't like the way the fuel converter on her ship was acting up. It displayed bright red warning signs indicating it could explode at any time.

Under ordinary circumstances, she would have bailed out, but the Bouncer was too small to carry an escape pod. Her communications were down, so there was no way to send an SOS, and waiting to get picked up was too risky. Besides, she thought there were going to be plenty of SOSs to go around as she caught sight of the refueling station breaking up from all the damage it had taken. There weren't enough rescue ships in the entire system to take care of that mess.

There was only one chance left; land on the only habitable planet in the system: Myce. At least it was her intended destination. Now all she had to do was find somewhere flat and hope her ship rolled better than it bounced.

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Kei felt her stomach lurch in conjunction with the movement. She turned a deeper shade of green and felt the metallic taste of bile rise to her throat. She mentally noted that this form of travel was the worst, and prayed to all the gods that she never had to have such torture inflicted upon her again.

The taxi driver looked over his shoulder to the passenger in the back and said, "Hey, lady, don't even think of hurling on the backseat. Bad enough you did it all over the outside of the door. I don't need to reupholster the interior as well."

"I'll be fine," Kei shot back, popping her fifth anti-nausea capsule since the ride started. The urge to vomit passed, though she still felt queasy. Rolling for fifteen kilometers on the inside of a giant ball, like a redheaded hamster stuck in a plastic bubble, tended to make even the most cast iron of stomachs a little shaky. At least the Almoth Desert had lived up to its reputation as being "The Flattest Place in all of Myce." It was the only thing that had saved her when she made planetfall. She had decreased her speed enough to keep from burning up on reentry, but there was no way she could slow down enough to land safely. Had the Bouncer been anything other than round, she probably would have ended up a smeared across the landscape. As it was, she only left the contents of her stomach, as well as the broken remnants of the ruined Bouncer, behind. It was turning out to be... well, a normal day for Kei's life as a Lovely Angel. No matter where she went, trouble, and a body count, followed.

And the day wasn't over yet.

She had some measure of good luck. Someone had flown out to the desert to see what had plummeted through the atmosphere and picked her up. After leaving her outside Myce (her old hometown, and capital of the planet bearing the same name), she picked up a taxi and headed for her meeting with the hacker, Mikael.

As Kei headed to the city, and dealt with her upset stomach, she considered current events, like who was trying to kill her this time. There was no shortage of people who wanted her dead: criminals, terrorists, overthrown dictators, religious zealots, evil masterminds, angry wives and girlfriends of some of the guys she dated, even her superiors now and then. But this felt different in a way she couldn't describe. Years of being a troubleshooter made her listen to her instincts, and she was willing to go with them rather than logic. Sometimes it got her into trouble, as Yuri would enthusiastically point out, but sometimes it saved her life.

How did the pilot know she was heading toward Myce? While it could have been coincidence, perhaps someone hired to put a contract on her and he stumbled upon her, but she doubted it. Only Yuri, Iria, Bob, and Killgore should have known her destination. She trusted the first three with her life, so that left the last one suspect. But that didn't make sense. Why would Killgore save Iria and want to join forces, just to kill them?

Perhaps there was some leak on the Zeiram end. The guy in charge of him was a genius, and he was working for the Tormand Confederation. Had they somehow anticipated her destination, or tracked her? Had she been chosen for elimination since she was on her own and theoretically easy prey? There were too many questions and no way to get any of the answers. It served to upset her temper as well as her stomach.

As the scenery passed by, Kei concentrated on it and quickly found the warmth of her homecoming dampened. Originally, she had been excited at the prospect of returning to Myce for the first time in over fifteen years. It was the first place in her life she had truly called home, with Iria as her defacto mother and Bob her sage (and bodiless) uncle. Many years were spent learning fun things, like firearms, explosives, unarmed combat, and how to drive at excessive speeds. It was a blissful childhood, and she couldn't have asked for more, even if she went on to outgrow the place in the end.

Unfortunately, the reality of what passed by the window failed to match the memories of Kei's youth. Myce had changed in her absence and not for the better. When Kei had first arrived on the planet as a penniless street orphan that had only lived on the backwater world of Taowajan, she had been awed by the magnificence and splendor of a megalopolis that had exceeded her wildest dreams. Everything had been bright and fantastic, all full of vibrancy and hope. The city had been like a living, thriving organism, and the people residing in it symbiotes that only fed its power.

Now the gild from the crown jewel of her youth had worn away. Tedan Tippedai had been the major business that had supplied the off-world money responsible for the majority of the city's wealth. When they eventually went belly-up from the Zeiram debacle, no other major off world corporation had been interested in using Myce as their headquarters, Zeiram having made the planet a business pariah. The effect of the loss of Tedan Tippedai hadn't been apparent when Kei departed her home for good, but now a decade later, it could be seen wherever one looked.

The buildings looked dirty and remnants of garbage could be seen in once spotless streets. People wore sedate clothing that matched their dark and dour moods. Hunched over bodies seemed to bear the weight of the heavens on their shoulders, and their gaits held not a wisp of pride. Even the air felt flat and stale.

There were some places that seemed to hold onto a lingering sense of hope, sporadic oases in the middle of a desert of depression, but even they showed signs of having been worn down with age. While the city wouldn't die, its indigenous population had enough resources to see to that, it had suffered a wound that made the whole become jaundiced and weakened. It was painful to see.

Kei cut off that line of thought. She was here on business, not vacation reminiscing about the old homestead. There was a rendezvous to keep with that hacker Iria wanted her to meet. It was supposed to be at a bar called the Olgarion, named after some mythical figure from the days when Myce was a dead hunk of rock being transformed into a proper colony. It had something to do about a man saving a town from a flood by building a dam with only a sledgehammer or something. Kei had paid little attention to such tall tales, preferring to make people talk about her own actions. Well, they did, just not in the way she had envisioned growing up.

"How much farther?" she grilled the driver.

"Another ten minutes," he said just a touch too fast.

Kei didn't like the way he gave his estimate. There was something off about it. It was too thought out. Even after more than a decade, she was familiar enough with the city to have a general idea of where the bar was located. This road was not the quickest way to it in her day. "We are taking the most direct route, aren't we?" she prodded.

"Of course," the driver assured her.

Kei fished her ID out of her belt pocket with one hand and her pistol from its holster with the other. She waved the ID against the clear safety shield between her and the driver. "This identifies me as an official troubleshooter with the 3WA. This," she tapped the barrel of the gun against the safety shield. "Gives me the power to shoot trouble. Giving me the runaround is a sure way to cause trouble."

"Silly me. I think I know a more direct route," the driver said with a touch of panic in his voice as he made a U-turn in the middle of the road, hopping lanes. The abrupt action forced several hover cars in the other lane to male panic stops, causing a pileup in the middle of the busy highway.

"Not my fault," Kei muttered from the back seat, deciding tacitly to not look out the rear window. It only proved her theory that on any planet, taxi drivers were all crooked and nuts.

Within minutes they pulled up to a building with the bright neon lights surrounding the name "Olgarion." She opened the door and exited the vehicle. She started to go for her money card when the driver gave a panicked, "Never mind, glad to be of service, officer." And pulled away, kicking up a cloud of putrefied air from his ill-maintained exhaust system. Kei was left coughing in the pus-green cloud for a minute.

"Idiot," she grumbled once she was over the coughing fit. At least she didn't have to pay for the ride.

Now that Kei had arrived at the rendezvous point, she gave it a closer look. The bright red neon lights surrounding the doorway leading to the interior were blinding. She had to squint past them to see the crumbling edifice of the two-story structure that housed the bar. It was as run down as the rest of the neighborhood, but at least they went to the effort of masking the fact with the lighting.

Cries of grinding metal and blowtorches came from within. Kei recognized the sounds of the construction agony as belonging to the latest music fad to pass through this arm of the galaxy: 'Death Metal' in the most literal sense of the word. The noise (which was all it was) was people destroying metal in a variety of ways. Oh, its supposed 'higher meaning' was a representation of the destruction of modern society on the basis it was a bloated mass of dying flesh that needed to be put out of its misery, but it was literally composed of 'musicians' hammering, ripping apart, and otherwise destroying pieces of metal. To Kei, it was the surest sign there were no more worthy musical art forms left to be discovered in the universe.

As Kei approached, she passed by a couple rows of hovercycles lined up outside of the bar. They were massive vehicles, all customized with additions to promote speed and power. Each bore an identical insignia on them: a blue star hovering around a brown and white planet. Something about that tickled at Kei's memory. Where had she seen it before? It probably belonged to some local gang she had seen growing up, and that was why it had registered as being familiar.

Dismissing the unusual symbol from her mind, Kei entered the bar. As she passed through the entryway, she moved between by a pair of seated bouncers, one human, the other a robot, standing within easy striking distance of the door. Both had inhumanly built physiques, one sculpted by weight and chemical enhancement, the other by arc-welders and machined parts.

Posted by the door was a sign that indicated there was a cover charge. Kei started to go for her money card again when the human saw what she was doing and said, "It's Ladies Night. You can get in for free."

"Wednesday is Ladies Night," the robot corrected.

"For girls as attractive as this, it's always Ladies Night." He gave her a leer.

Whatever pleasant thoughts Kei had regarding the hulk were stomped out by the smile of purely golden teeth. She hated gaudy features like that, and teeth that really did gleam always made her feel creepy. They were too artificial.

She thanked him politely and made her way to the bar, passing by several tables full of raucous men clinking bottles filled with some alcoholic beverage together as they toasted to some "bitch named Haruka." As Kei strolled past, she noticed the rough-looking men all wore jackets with insignias identical to the ones on the bikes. She also noticed the dance floor, such as it was, filled with numerous others with similar decals or tattoos. It appeared it was Biker Night as well as Ladies' Night.

Since she was in a place that offered drinks, Kei drifted toward the bar to knock back a few. It was a tradition, one she had no intention of breaking. She went up to the bar, noted the condition of the seats, and decided she'd remain standing while she drank. With any luck, her contact wouldn't show up until the eighth drink or so.

The bartender finished serving a couple at the opposite end of the bar, then walked over to Kei. "What'll it be?"

Kei considered that. She looked at some of the bottles that lined the wall behind the bar. One in a solid container caught her eye, and she pointed to it. "That one called Paint Thinner sounds interesting. I'll have some of that."

A curious expression passed over the bartender's face. He turned in the direction Kei was pointing. "Oops, that really is a bottle of paint thinner." He removed it and placed it out of sight under the bar.

"How about some Johnny Walker Fuchsia?" That flavor of whiskey was one of Kei's favorites. Actually, all three hundred and ten flavors were favorites of hers. It was hard to believe at one time there had only been Red, Black, Gold and Blue labels. Time and technology had come up with other forms of it since then, each more potent than the last. Fuchsia, the latest and strongest one, was the best yet in Kei's estimation.

The bartender considered that. "You might be better off with the paint thinner."

"I can handle it. Hit me," she insisted.

A hand fell on her shoulder, spun her around, and a fist connected solidly with her jaw.

Kei went sailing to the ground, her body colliding with a couple of the stools and sending them careening away as she crashed into the alcohol sodden floor. She had rolled reflexively with the blow, but enough force had still gotten through to cross her eyes and make the room lurch.

As she rolled over onto her back, she realized her assailant hadn't moved in for the kill. When her foes did that, it tended to mean they were either very stupid (but strong), something had interrupted their attack (but they were still strong) or they were going to shoot their mouth off and brag (usually about how strong they were).

Kei recovered enough of her wits to see the largest of the bikers looking down at her in contempt. The smug look on his face told her he was in the latter category. That was good. Braggarts tended to be in the first category as well.

Kei decided to help him along, as well as buy herself time and find out why he had attacked her. The last was mostly just to satisfy her curiosity. The reason didn't matter. She was going to kick his ass no matter what. "What was that for?"

"Revenge, of course!" the man snarled.

Kei looked him over more closely. He was tall. He was bald. He was ugly. He had tattoos. He had bulging muscles that looked like they could produce Death Metal music without any tools. And his breath was just awful. "You used to date my partner, dumped her when you fell for me, and I turned you down?" she guessed. He was the sort of guy Yuri's taste ran towards: pure loser.

"Of course not! I'm Nick 'Big Man' Kincaid."

Kei shrugged helplessly. "Big Man is a nickname used by half the bad guys in the galaxy. Give me something more to work with."

"How dare you not remember me!" The man slammed his fist down on the bar, cracking the top.

"I've arrested a lot of people over the years. It's hard to keep track of them all," Kei explained as she rose to her feet.

The man was on the verge of apoplexy. "You arrested me five years ago outside of Valencia for smuggling!"

Kei scratched her head. She had busted lots of smugglers over the years. Valencia? She remembered that planet. Nothing bad and highly destructive had happened there when she and Yuri busted up the smuggling ring. It was rare that a job didn't besmirch her good name. Now the symbol had clicked. The gang had been using it back then. She remembered this overly large moron. Barely.

"Okay, you were the ringleader, liked working with your fists," Kei supplied.

"That's right," Kincaid said, placing his hands on his hips and boasted, "I'm the best fighter in this arm of the galaxy. And I've only improved over the years, waiting for my shot at revenge and beating to death the bitch who threw me in prison to rot."

Kei shook her head. "The only thing I remember about your fighting abilities is that you had a hole in your defense, and I took you down like this!" Kei lashed out with her foot, planting it between his legs.

Kincaid looked down at his crotch as Kei withdrew her foot. Then he began laughing.

Kei was left staring in open-mouthed wonder.

He bellowed even harder. "Stupid girl. The joke's on you. I had my gonads removed."

"You had your gonads removed and you think the joke's on me?"

Kincaid's laughter died abruptly, as though he suddenly realized something. Something bad, that he couldn't undo. His rage doubled and he took on a far more dangerous stance. "Time to bleed to death, bitch."

"I hope you had your internal organs removed too, because they're the only thing that can protect you from this." She went for the weapon in her holster. She had just pulled the sidearm free when the hand of one of the other bikers flanking her lashed out. Something blurred in front of Kei, and the front half of the gun inexplicably fell to the floor, leaving her holding a now useless hunk of metal.

"Laser wire," the intercessor bragged. "It can go through anything."

A confused look crossed his eyes as he tilted to one side, then inexplicably fell to the floor. Kei stared at him curiously, then saw the reason for his fall: his leg had been severed at the shin, the wound neatly cauterized by the laser wire.

"I told him he needed more than a couple of weeks practice with that," Kincaid said tiredly, while the man writhed on the floor in pain, screaming about his leg.

Kei frowned. That had been her only weapon. Now she would have to do it the hard way, hand-to-hand. This guy might have thought he was hot stuff, but Kei had been in more fights than she could count where she only had her body to rely on.

Kincaid held out his hands. Two of his cohorts handed up a pair of black rods of metal, each a foot long. Touching a stud at the base, bands of electricity arced between the tips.

"I thought you said you were practicing using your hand-to-hand skills in order to beat me to death," Kei protested.

"I've expanded my repertoire." He banged the rods together, producing a larger spark.

Kei grimaced. If it was this moron alone, she could handle him. Probably. She hadn't seen how good he was yet. But he had at least twenty thugs with him, not counting the one that had dismembered himself (well, technically Kincaid had dismembered himself too, but it wouldn't impair his fighting ability). Her best bet would be to get the weapons away from him and use them on his lackeys, unless the sticks were keyed to his vital signs or something. Then they'd only be in the way. Too bad she hadn't had that drink. She sure could have used one now. Maybe even a half dozen. It was looking like it would be a long night.

Just as Kei prepared herself for the onslaught, a loud roar came from the entrance. The roar grew louder, making the bottles behind the bar rattle as a hovercycle burst through the aperture, its passage knocking over the pair of bouncers who had been making certain they saw nothing of the fight about to take place inside the club.

The hovercycle charged in like it was on a race track, bowling over tables and bikers alike. Kincaid barely leapt over the bar in time to avoid being mown down by three hundred pounds of metal traveling at a high rate of speed.

The cycle, which Kei identified as a B-1300, came to a stop not more than a half meter from her. The air kicked up from its hover jets brushed across her boots. It was either a sign of daredevil skill or blind luck he hadn't wiped out entering or run Kei down.

The driver held out a hand. "Hop on!" he shouted over the roaring jets.

Now that he was no more than a meter away, Kei got a good look at the driver. He was young, probably about twenty, a touch slender, but not too skinny, and appeared on the tall side, though it was difficult to be certain since he was sitting astride the hover cycle. What really drew her eyes was his face. He was a very good-looking man, with a sort of roguish charm and a killer smile that reminded her of Killgore's. Despite the gravity of the situation and the potential injuries he could have suffered had he an ounce less of piloting skill, he appeared he was having fun. In many ways it mirrored how Kei would have been had their positions been reversed.

Kei accepted the hand and hopped on. It wasn't every day a damsel in distress was rescued by a handsome knight on his faithful mount, even if the knight was dressed in leather and his noble steed was manufactured by a company whose primary specialty was household appliances. She'd settle for the handsome part, which was the thing that interested her the most.

In a feat of skill that made even Kei gasp, her knight didn't bother turning the hovercycle around, he simply reversed directions, though he did deign to peer over his shoulder to make certain he didn't crush them both against the walls framing the doorway.

They cleared the opening with casual ease. This guy must have been conceived as well as born on a bike. That was the only explanation for how he could be so good.

"You're a hell of a driver!" Kei shouted over the roar of the engine, all the while securing a grip on her rescuer with only one hand high, and the other a good bit lower, though she was careful not to squeeze.

Rather than reacting surprised at her grip, he looked over his shoulder, smiling at Kei. "It's one of my three passions."

Kei couldn't resist the invitation. "What are the other two?"

"They're a secret, but I think they might be of interest to you. Maybe you'll find out."

Kei's smile broadened. Young or not, he knew just how to make himself interesting while not being too cocky. Either he was a hell of a player, or being sincere. She vowed to herself to find out which it was before she returned to the Lovely Angel.

She was about to say more when their path was cut off by a number of bikers speeding in front of them from a side street. Her rescuer reacted by darting to another side street that was little more than a narrow alleyway. She caught a glimpse of the starburst insignias on the hovercycles in front of them as they sped away.

"Crap! How'd they get in front of us?" Kei cursed.

"Late arrivals to the party. They were probably radioed by the others back at the bar." He cut down the alleyway and veered to the left.

Kei heard the sound of other cycles behind her. She looked over the shoulder to see the bikers had followed them down the alley. She had hoped they would take a longer route rather than risk scraping themselves against the wall, but it appeared they had a measure of driving skill as well. Though she noted not as much, as there was now some additional space between them and their pursuers.

"Think we can lose them?" Kei asked.

"Not on speed alone. I might not think much of the slobs, but Kincaid's boys have pretty good machines. I'll bet my skill against theirs any day, though. We'll ditch them."

A laser bolt shot past, well to the left. It hit the front of a building, shattering the glass.

"That'll make things more difficult," the youth worried.

Kei was about to go for her sidearm, when she remembered it was still laying in pieces on the floor of the bar. "You don't happen to have a gun?"

"Not on me. I'd blow my own foot off if I tried to use one. Riding bikes I know. Shooting firearms is a good way to get me killed."

"Shit!" Kei hissed. More laser blasts joined the original as they exited the alley and hit the open street, giving them some cover for a moment. Luckily, trying to fire from a hovercycle at another hovercycle, while both were moving at high speed, made for poor marksmanship. Still, Kei worried the thugs might get lucky and a stray shot might either hit one of them or damage the bike.

"There's a gun stowed on the bike to the left of the seat, though. It's got a concealed catch next to the main strut supporting the seat to the body. I assume it still works. I haven't had it out since it was put there."

Kei found the catch in question, her fingers deftly flipping it open and finding the handle of the gun. She extracted it from its concealment and examined it. An L-18. Designed for sleekness and accuracy rather than power or quantity. It was a reliable piece that did what it was intended to do. It was a dependable, and expensive, choice.

"You can't use a gun but you have one?" Kei asked.

"What can I say? I have an overprotective mother," he quipped, despite the situation.

More lasers flashed past, one nearly singeing the hair on Kei's head. She twisted in her seat, keeping one hand firmly across her rescuer's chest while firing behind them. Her first three shots missed, but the fourth one struck home, hitting the lead biker right in the head and sending his body flying. The hovercycle continued forward, stopping only when it slammed into a building and blew up against a wall.

The rest of the pack, numbering seven, continued firing. Kei noticed that half of them had fixed weapon mounts in the front of their cycles. Horrible for accuracy, but they could fire at will without worrying about steering with only one hand, and they had hellish firing capacities.

With one of their number fallen, the others dodged faster and fired more. Shots went wild, hitting nearly everything in the street save the people they were aiming at.

Then a stray shot hit the rear of the hovercycle. Immediately smoke began trailing from the tail and the youth cursed. "That was an engine. We're going to lose speed."

"Shit!" Kei cursed. Better the bike then her, but the odds for the gang coming out on top had suddenly improved.

She snapped off another trio of shots, conserving her ammunition. Another biker clutched at his wounded shoulder, causing his bike to veer into a parked car. Both ended up decorating a good portion of the pavement.

"I have an idea," the youth shouted over his shoulder. "Think you can do that again?"

Kei looked at her magazine. "Yeah, I should have enough shots left."

He nodded. "Wait until the next turn. Once they turn the corner, all you have to do is hit one of them in the lead."

Kei was uncertain what her rescuer was up to, but put her trust in him. They made it around the next corner. She kept her attention riveted to what was behind her. Once the gang made the corner, she opened up on the leader of the pack. More shots closed in on her as they found their range, but Kei's marksmanship won out, and she nailed the lead biker.

"What now?" she asked.

"Now this!" the man made a sharp turn, nearly causing Kei to go flying off the cycle. She watched as the riderless hovercycle continued onward, crashing into some sort of fuel station.

There was a tremendous explosion as the vehicle ignited the fuel. A fireball billowed outward. Kei felt heat wash over her, and saw the remainder of the bikers, following too closely to adjust their course, consumed in the conflagration.

The youth pulled to a stop, surveying their handiwork. "Nice job," he complimented.

"You're the one that was driving." Kei swatted him affectionately on his shoulder.

A hissing sound reached Kei's ears. She looked up the road they were on just in time to see something black and with a vapor trail heading right toward them. "Move!" she shouted, tackling her comrade hard enough to take them both a good distance from the bike.

A second later the missile hit. They were caught at the edge of the explosion, but were fortunate in avoiding the shrapnel. The detonation continued what inertia started and the pair were blown clear of the fiery wreck.

Once he was able to sit up, Kei's rescuer moaned, "Aw, I liked that bike."

"And I like your ass, now move it or you'll lose it!" Kei hauled him to his feet, trying to spot where the missile had originated. A sinking feeling hit her stomach as she saw exactly where it had come from. Kincaid and the rest of his gang had located them. He was in the lead, a missile side car attached to his hovercycle, and there were plenty of missiles left in its carriage.

Kei assessed the situation and the best way out of it. "This way!" The tables were turned as she became the savior, shooting open a door to a nearby building and kicking it in. It was some sort of clothing store. She half dragged her companion to a counter, all but throwing him behind it as she leaped over it after him.

Another explosion came from directly outside the building, throwing glass, metal, and mortar inside. Luckily, the counter shielded them from the debris, just like Kei had planned.

Kei poked her head over the counter and checked her remaining ammunition. She had expended much of it nailing the last biker, and any reloads had been scrapped along with the bike. A pity they hadn't ducked into a firearm emporium. Then 'Castrated' Kincaid and his pack of smelly tattooed freaks would be so much scorched flesh.

Kei's companion grabbed her by the arm. "I think I know a way out."

Having no better ideas, Kei followed. They went toward the back, the younger man leading the way. Roars could be heard from the front as the gang moved in to confirm the kill. Within seconds Kei's rescuer found what he was looking for: a back exit.

"Even if we get out of here they'll just run us down," Kei said. At least in the narrower confines of the store the gang couldn't use the superior maneuverability of the hovercycles. Of course they could just bring the building down around Kei's ears and render the whole thing moot. It was not one of her better days.

"I know where we are. There's a way out, but we'll have to cross an open street," he told her.

Kei sighed. She'd rather die trying to do something than allowing herself to get backed into a corner. She held the gun up for cover. "Lead the way."

He did so, bolting down the back alleyway and out to the adjoining street. He hesitated for a moment before spotting what he was looking for. He ran down the street toward a building.

Kei's fears were realized as a single hovercycle made a turn around the corner and spotted them. Immediately he opened up with a mounted laser in the front while shouting into his radio that he had spotted them.

Kei stopped running and took careful aim. A single shot from her pistol took him in the head. She doubted she'd get so lucky a second time. Already she heard the roar of vehicles coming from more than one direction. They were flanking her, which is what she would have done had their positions been reversed.

Kei caught up to her rescuer, who had stopped in front of what appeared to be a hardware store that was closed for the evening. The situation hadn't seemed any different to her from the one they had left, but they didn't have any real options now, since they were in open without any hope of cover.

She brought her pistol up and was about to shoot out the lock when her companion said, "Wait!" He pulled a cyberlink from his jacket and hooked it up to the back of his neck. Now Kei caught a glimpse of the cybernetic headjack implanted at the base of his skull. It looked fairly high grade from what she could see. Curious, she hadn't thought someone like him would bother with an implant. He was proving himself full of surprises.

The door popped open. He immediately shut it behind them, then led her hurriedly inside. He seemed to know where he was going, making a beeline for the rear of the store.

"How did you do that?" she asked as she found herself being led deeper into the building.

"I set up the security for this place."

"It doesn't seem all that secure if you can just walk in," Kei pointed out.

"Every security designer that knows his stuff always puts in a backdoor in case they need to come in unannounced to beef up security."

"Uh huh," Kei said unconvincingly.

As they walked, he began to explain. "This building is owned by Artus Millious, one of the largest indigenous businessmen in the city. He has, how shall we say, some very powerful connections to powerful people, not all of them legitimate. They're the kind that could eliminate a pesky biker gang with the same effort it takes to rub their noses. Most people know that. It would be annoying to Artus if someone were to attack his establishment. Annoying in the way that makes him want to rub his nose. "

There was the sound of an explosion from outside.

"And if said biker gang decides to take their chances and storm the place?" Kei asked as she brought her gun up.

He kept dragging her along. "Actually there's a secret about this place. You see, of all of Artus's holdings, this is the only one that loses money."

"And this has a bearing on our situation how?"

He led Kei to a back office, obviously where the man in charge ran things. The youth went to a back wall and began feeling around a tasteless light fixture that made even Kei recoil. "The reason he keeps this place is for one simple reason: location."

"Because it's on top of a secret armory?" Kei asked hopefully.

There was a click and a section of the wall slid away. "It has a secret passage that leads to his favorite bordello. It's the only way he can get around without his wife finding out. She's from Lyrnya."

"Oh." Kei now understood the need for secrecy. Lyrnya was a wealthy planet, and nearly anyone that married off-world came from money. Culturally they took marriage vows seriously. Infidelity was a capital offense, and they were quite happy to apply their laws to other planets. Death was usually preceded by the removal of certain organs that tended to be responsible for getting the marriage-breaker into trouble in the first place. Not many people married Lyrnyans.

Kei was led into the secret passageway. The door sealed itself automatically behind them. Lights flickered on, revealing a staircase carved from stone leading downward. A foul odor wafted up from deeper within.

"It smells like something died down here." Kei pinched her nose shut.

"As an additional security precaution, the passageway leads to the sewers rather than directly to the bordello. Mr. Millious really didn't want to take any chances."

"Ugh!" Kei spat out as she forced herself to move forward. It wouldn't be the first time she had to sneak through a sewer to get around. Of course, she hated it every time she had to use one.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Three hundred meters later, they came upon the secret doorway leading to the bordello. Three hundred meters of filth and grime that would have made even a pig recoil in disgust. It was just Kei's luck that the sewer had fallen victim to poor drainage and there had recently been a storm. It made the water level three times higher than what it should have been and submerged the ledge that led to the bordello. After slogging her way through waist deep refuse, her savior tapped a few stones and a secret passageway opened up. Kei emerged from the foul substance with an aroma that made her want to toss up her cookies. Every single one she had eaten in her lifetime.

It was as she was cursing her foul luck when she remembered exactly why she was here.

"Aw, crap."

"Don't worry about it. I waded through some too. It'll wash off, probably," he reassured her.

Kei shook her head. "It's not that. In all the confusion, I almost forgot why I was sent here."

He stopped walking. "Oh?"

Reluctantly, Kei said, "As soon as we're out of this, I'm going to have to go. I was supposed to meet some nerdy hacker and give him some material to look over for me and my friends, which is the last thing I want to do. Believe me, I'd rather not spend time with some geek who's surgically attached to his keyboard. But business is business, and it has to take precedence. His name is Mikael or something."

Her companion smiled. "Maybe I could help. It just so happens my second great passion is computers."

"Oh, is that so? And what's your third great passion?"

"Maybe you'll get the chance to find out."

That forced Kei to smile. Not that she had any intention of giving him the packet. Handsome he might be; someone that could be trusted with vital information, probably not. "We'll see," Kei said non-committally.

They arrived at a doorway at the end of the stairwell. Her companion moved aside another hidden recess that revealed a concealed keypad. He thought for a moment, then hit a ten number sequence. The panel chimed and retreated back into the recess. A second later, the door slid open.

"You set up security here?" Kei asked.

"I've been here from time to time," he answered as he entered the brightly lit chamber beyond...

...And found a beautiful woman in a business suit pointing a gun at his face.

"Looks like you made quite an impression," Kei said as she surreptitiously went for her own pistol.

"Hey ya', Mari," her rescuer said affably to the woman pointing the gun at him.

"Mikael! You should have let us know you were dropping by." She smiled warmly, and more importantly, holstered the gun. Despite her affectionate tone she refrained from embracing him. She then peered over her shoulder and spotted Kei. "Who's your friend?"

Mikael introduced them. "Kei, this is Mari, head of security here. Mari, Kei."

Mari nodded, though she didn't smile. "Well, Mikael, this is a first. A man who brings a date to a bordello."

He laughed easily. "Could you get Madame Fortuna and let her know I'm here? She always insists I stop by to greet her first thing, otherwise she gets cross with me, and you know what she's like when she's cross."

"That I do. I'll see if I can't get something set up for you. And your friend," she added, giving Kei a frosty look that bordered on a glare.

Kei shot her back in equally disdainful look as the woman exited the room. Once she was gone and she and her companion were alone, Kei turned to him. "Mikael?"

"The nerdy geek." He held his hands out helplessly.

Kei laughed, her anger at not being informed of his identity offset by her unwittingly shooting off her mouth and insulting a guy she wanted to impress. "You're not what I thought you'd be like." It would have helped a whole lot if Iria had shown her a picture of the handsome guy. Kei would have been a whole lot more eager to meet him. Maybe Iria was getting old if she hadn't noticed his looks. Now Kei was left in an awkward position. She tried lightening the mood and hoped he'd forgive her remarks. "I guess it explains your timely arrival."

"I like making a good first impression," he said easily, letting her know everything was all right.

Kei relaxed. "Why didn't you identify yourself right away?"

"I was sort of busy," he reminded her. "And if you think you had it bad, Bob didn't even give me the benefit of a name. All he told me was the place, the time, and said, 'Look for a hot redhead. Don't worry, she'll be easy to find. She'll be in the middle of trouble.'"

Kei frowned, mostly because Bob's less than savory description had turned out to be accurate. She'd have words for him as well when they she got back. "Yeah, thanks for the help. I mean, I could have gotten out of things on my own, but you made it a lot easier."

"And you saved me a couple of times back there too, so I'd say we're even."

Sensing things were turning out pretty good, despite the rocky start, Kei began asking questions of a more personal nature. "You seem to be a well known guy around here."

This time Mikael blushed faintly. "I practically grew up here. The girls treat me like a favored son, since most of them don't have any of their own."

"So it's completely innocent?" Kei asked, doubt in her voice.

"Well, I'm lots of things, but I don't know as 'innocent' is one of them."

Kei considered that. It wasn't like she was what would be termed 'innocent' either, and that rakish smile was fit for someone naughty rather than nice. And it wasn't as though Kei was uptight, like Yuri was.

Kei was still thinking things over when a woman entered the room. She was older, at least in her fifties, with graying hair tied into a bun. She wore a tasteful dress that spoke of money and class, accentuating her femininity and sexuality, despite her age. Every one of her movements was poise and elegance personified. Kei actually felt a pang of jealousy at the sight of her. It was the first time she had ever felt jealous of an older woman.

"Miki," the woman cooed, strolling up to him and pecking him lightly on the cheek, one of the few spots of his body not covered in grime. "It's been a long time."

"Madame Fortuna," he said, returning the kiss on her cheek.

She retaliated by pinching his. "How many times have I told you, it's Nadia, Miki, my sweet?"

"Ow, ow, all right, Nadia. Nadia."

Fortuna released her grip and patted his cheek affectionately.

Kei smiled at the exchange. Mari might have regarded Mikael with something more than motherly affection, but this Fortuna saw him in that sort of light.

As if picking up Kei's thoughts, Fortuna turned to her. "And you are?""

"Kei." She suddenly felt uneasy under the woman's piercing gaze. It was obvious she was being evaluated. She didn't like being evaluated, even by her superiors, and that was their job. There was something about this 'Madame' (no doubt in every sense of the word, since she was in charge of a bordello) that reeked of a sense of superiority. A feeling that came from within rather than being bestowed upon her by others.

After looking her over with a critical eye, Fortuna smiled. Kei was uncertain if it held approval or something else. In either case, the older woman turned back to Mikael. "So, what brings you here?"

Mikael told her all of the events that had happened that night, leaving out only the specifics of what he and Kei were supposed to discuss.

"Rest assured, you'll be safe here." Fortuna waved at the room around her. "This is the one place where all men of power, both of legitimate and questionable means, agree that they need and want, and therefore falls under their protection. My home is probably the most secure place in all of Myce. You'll both be safe here, no matter who is after you."

Fortuna wrinkled her nose in the pair's direction. "Now, you'd both best get cleaned up. I'd say you should use," she looked Kei over carefully again. "The Blue Room. I think that would be appropriate. Leave your clothing outside the room and I'll have someone clean them for you."

"Thank you," Mikael said sincerely.

"You're always welcome here. My doors are open for you, and I think most of the other girls' are as well, and not for a fee." She gave him a knowing wink.

Kei felt a bit of temper flare at the comment. None of 'the other girls' had better try putting the moves on Mikael while she was around, or they'd find out what it meant to interfere in a 3WA agent's mission. And Mikael was part of the mission now, since he was her contact. That meant he was hers and hers alone until she was finished with him. And she wasn't in any hurry.

Mikael thanked Fortuna again and led the way, apparently not needing directions to the Blue Room. As they reached the doorway leading into the building proper, Fortuna said, "By the way, have you seen Fujikuro lately?"

Mikael turned. "Yeah, he's in good shape and as busy as ever. You know what he says. 'Old bounty hunters don't die, they just get meaner'."

"He's never been mean with me," she said, amusement in her voice. "In any case, the next time you see him, do tell him to drop by. I've missed him terribly, and I'd wager he's missed me too, unless I've lost my touch. And I most definitely haven't done that."

"I will," Mikael promised, then led Kei from the room.

As they made their way through what was obviously servants quarters, Kei asked, "Fujikuro? That old fart? He's still alive?"

Mikael turned to her in surprise. "He sure is. Do you know him?"

Kei nodded. "I grew up on Myce, actually. I'd see him every now and then. He was like a hard-around-the-edges-uncle. He tried to pretend he didn't care, but he'd look out for me when I got into trouble."

"That's him," Mikael confirmed. "He hasn't changed much over the years. I don't think he's ever changed. He and Madame... I mean Nadia, have had a thing going for almost as long as I can remember. I mean, it's not official, but it's obvious they got eyes for only one another. I think she'd like to marry him, if he'd offer, and get out of the business completely. I think he just can't grasp the concept of settling down. But I'm pretty sure he loves her enough for it. It's hard to say. I don't try to stick my nose in too far. Fujikuro is the type to bite it off if he thinks it's sticking too far into his business."

"Huh." Kei had problems seeing Fujikuro as the type to marry. He didn't seem the type to date. He was just so ornery and contrary, even if he had helped every now and then when she or Iria had a problem.

As they went past the kitchens, Kei noticed several attractive women, that were dressed in risqué clothing, milling about. They smiled in recognition of Mikael and greeted him with sultry purrs. To Kei they shot suspicious or downright hostile glares.

Once they were out of earshot of the girls, Kei said, "You sure are popular here. It's like everyone knows you." There was more than a hint of acid in her voice.

Mikael shrugged. "Well, it does sort of tie in with my third, and favorite, passion."

When it was obvious he wouldn't continue, Kei prodded him. "Which is?"

"Women." He paused in front of a door that was, appropriate enough, blue. He opened it and bowed, allowing Kei to enter first.

Kei wasn't sure of what to make of that. It was rare to find a guy that would openly admit to a female companion that he liked women. Of course, with the way Kei's life had been going lately, a passionate guy could be what she needed, even if he was a bit younger than her. He didn't act younger. He was confident, but not in an obnoxious way. She was reluctant to admit it, but she could understand why he was held in favor by so many of the girls here. He was charming, and Kei would have bet everything it was sincere, rather than an act to seduce women. His composure under fire and risking his neck to help a stranger were clear indications of that. Good looking and suave, but ultimately a nice guy. Obviously he had some brains too if he was a hacker. And that killer smile was something else.

The only thing that was a negative in Kei's book was that he was on the slender side. As a rule, she preferred her men beefy, but there was nothing wrong with being wiry. As long as he wasn't skin in bones, but his grip and handling of his bike seemed to dismiss that idea. No, he was in good shape. Not bad at all.

He moved into the room, shutting the door behind him. Kei saw that this 'Blue Room' was clearly set up for entertainment of a visceral kind. It was sedate, almost like a honeymoon suite, and there was definitely a romantic air about the place. Nearly everything was fringed in a sky blue, but tasteful. It was certainly a mood setter, and Kei wondered if Fortuna had set them up by letting them use it.

Kei became defensive at the idea. She was no hooker. If she slept with a guy, it was on her terms, and she certainly didn't need approval or encouragement from some aging madam. Just to prove it, she wouldn't sleep with Mikael. They'd just clean up, get changed, and get to the business of slicing that information and getting it back to Iria. Besides, it had been a long day, two attempts had been made on her life, and that was after a long trip through several systems in a cramped vessel. It would be best to grab some shut eye when she could. There was no telling what would be coming after her next.

"I'm going to grab a shower first," Mikael announced. He opened the door to the bathroom (also colored in blue tile) and pulled it behind him. It didn't quite close all the way, and there was an opening of about a half-dozen centimeters between the frame and the door.

Kei's eyes were drawn to the crack. She could just make out clothing being shed and the color of flesh moving back and forth from her vantage point. Was that a tattoo she saw decorating the back of his shoulder? She couldn't be certain. And was that his ass? If it was, it was definitely firm. She could see sinking her fingers into it just to test its firmness.

The movement disappeared, and she heard the sound of water running. Kei sat on the bed, rubbing her legs nervously together. A million thoughts ran through her mind as to why she should maintain her resolve, but there was one thought that stood well in front of the others.

"It has been way too long since I've had a good man." She unsnapped her top, allowing her breasts to swing free. Her bottoms followed suit and boots followed. One thing about her troubleshooter outfit; removing it was easy and quick; a fact she had appreciated on more than one occasion.

Kei sauntered over to the shower and accepted the invitation that the open door represented. She announced her presence by saying, "Want some help washing some of those hard to reach places?"

That was met with a response of, "I should warn you, I have this back problem that makes washing anything below my waist difficult."

"Oh, I'm an expert at washing there," Kei assured him as she joined him in the shower.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kei lounged about nude on the bed, purring in contentment like a cat that had made a meal out of a flock of canaries from some of the best sex she had ever had. Not only was Mikael handsome, caring, and pretty well-endowed, but he could play a woman's body like a musician would a finely-tuned instrument. No doubt it had come from his time spent with the professionals here, but since Kei was benefiting from his training, she had no complaints.

And the number of times he could get it up. He was like a horny teenager. He was making her feel like one too, and she suppressed the urge to giggle inanely. She must have been insane trying to talk herself out of sleeping with him. Knowing what she had almost missed because of false pride nearly sent a chill down her spine.

The sound of his humming to himself in the shower filled the air. Kei had already taken a shower, the smell of the herbal body lotions rubbed into her skin making her feel revitalized. It had been an energetic night, followed by an energetic day, followed by one more energetic night. Now it was the next morning, and she was mostly tapped out. Mostly. Though she could be up for one more round, if Mikael's flesh was willing. But she'd let him approach her, in case he didn't feel up to it. She didn't want to be too demanding and seem like a bitch. She'd give him a whole twenty-four hours to recharge before going at it again. That would leave them enough time to do what she had come to Myce for, and start on compiling the information they needed.

There was a knock on the door, most likely heralding breakfast. Madame Fortuna had been a wonderful hostess, and ordered the staff to cater to all of their needs. No doubt it was more for Mikael's sake rather than Kei's, but she could live with that. Anything they needed, they had received. Though all they had really needed was clean clothing (which had stayed on them for all of five minutes before being discarded again), food to keep them going, and some more... esoteric items. Mikael was certainly inventive, and it had served to inspire Kei toward some more innovative maneuvering as well.

"Enter," Kei said. Her hunger died when she saw who was at the door. She quickly covered herself up and tried to act casual. "Oh, hi, Iria. What are you doing here?"

Iria stared upon Kei in open disapproval, letting her former protégé know she was an open book and there was no sense in denying anything. "Things happened pretty quick after you left. Zeiram hit another station and sneaked away before we could kill him. We think we might have a new lead on him, and I wanted to swing by and pick you up and see what information you managed to dig up."

"Oh, that." Kei tried playing it off, but her laugh was strained in a way that only Iria's steady gaze could make. "Well, you see, I got attacked before I reached the planet."

"I know. We found the remains of your ship in the middle of the desert. I was concerned until I discovered your signal in the city." She held up a tracking device.

Kei's hand went reflexively to her earring communicator. "Yeah."

"And now I find you in a bordello?" Iria cocked a quizzical eyebrow.

Kei's laugh was even more uneasy. "Well, you see, I sort of got attacked once I got the city too."

"That would explain the destruction I saw on the way here. People are still talking about it, you know."

"Exactly," Kei said. "And I had to lay low here."

"Did you manage to find Mikael before you hit town and leveled half of it?"

Kei's fear disappeared and she became positively giddy. "Oh, you could say that. And we hit it off really well."

It was just at that moment that Mikael emerged from the bathroom, towel tied around his slender waist. He was still looking down, securing it, as he asked, "Is breakfast here? I'm starving." He trailed off as he saw who was in the room. He shifted nervously, and immediately went for a robe.

Kei wondered curiously at the strange reaction, and turned her attention back to Iria. The bounty hunter's look of concern that had been directed at Kei had changed to a glare of suspicion and hostility, surprising the troubleshooter.

Iria crossed her arms under her bosom and said in a warning tone, "Kei, I hope for your sake that your intentions with my son are strictly honorable."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[End notes] I think this would be a good place to end it.

DB Sommer


	9. Chapter 9

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot Chapter 9

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xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I can't believe you slept with my son!"

"I can't believe you didn't tell me he was your son!"

Accusations echoed within the confined space of the Creeper V, fueling the already high level of agitation both Kei and Iria suffered from. Had there been others around, perhaps they would have defused the situation, but only the streaks of stars passing through hyperspace accompanied the two women after their hasty departure from Myce.

Their privacy might have been for the best, since neither woman wanted any other participants involved in their conversation. They had a situation to discuss, a very unexpected one, and resolving it would require no interruptions. That was the main reason Iria had escorted Kei off planet immediately instead of waiting for Mikael to turn the information over to her. Ostensibly she told him it was because she needed Kei on hand if Zeiram should appear again. She suspected her son knew the real reason behind their hurried exit, but luckily he was sensible enough to accept the explanation without protest.

The drive to the spaceport and takeoff that followed had passed in silence. It wasn't until after clearing orbit and a successful transition into hyperspace that the conversation, which was more an exchange of accusations, began.

Iria frowned at Kei. "I didn't say anything because I wanted the two of you to meet without any silly preconceived notions about one another and act awkwardly or something. I thought it would be easier for you to get to know one another solely on the basis of who you are instead of your relationships to me." Iria became somewhat less angry, as though she conceded Kei her point.

"We got to know one another, all right," Kei shot back, her anger not mollified.

There was a pause in the conversation, then Iria said, "I mean, even in my wildest dreams, I didn't think something like this would happen. I figured you'd talk a bit, maybe eventually learn who you were, and then we'd have a good laugh about it later."

"Ha, ha, ha. I am so amused, I'm practically in tears," Kei said dryly.

Iria ignored the sarcasm, locked in on her own thoughts. "Okay, maybe if he was a bit older I could see it happening. Maybe. But I think his age should have slowed things down a bit. He is only eighteen."

You wouldn't know it by how skilled he is in bed, Kei made certain not to say out loud. Iria was taking things well -relatively- but there was no way Kei could mention that little detail and not have her head bitten off. After meeting Mikael, she couldn't believe that was his actual age. Physically he appeared to be at least in his early twenties, and judging by the women's reaction at the bordello, he had been a regular there in more than a casual way for some time. His stamina was that of a horny teenager, though. It was a not altogether unsatisfactory compromise between his apparent and actual age.

Iria's tone became accusatory again. "But it was only three days, Kei. That's awfully fast for two people that just met to hop into bed together. I mean, that's barely enough time to exchange names."

"We knew each other's names," Kei said defensively. Not last names, obviously, but she knew lots of people only by their first name. Of course she didn't sleep with any of them, so it wasn't exactly the same thing.

Iria continued as though Kei had said nothing. "And then he was supposed to slice the information, which would have taken up a lot of time as well. How much did he get done, by the way?"

Kei twitched, as though she the screwdriver she was jamming in the a light socket suddenly hit paydirt. Reluctantly she said, "He didn't get a chance to start."

"It took you that long to find him? I thought you said you met him your first day there."

"Yeah, I did" Kei said evasively. Dodging the Mustang had been easier than dodging these questions.

"Then why didn't he get more..." Iria trailed off as her mind began putting Kei's reaction together with what was being said. "Kei, how long was it after you met him that the two of you hopped into bed together?"

"It was after I had been caught in three death defying situations. Four if you count the cab ride though Myce," Kei said defensively.

"How long is that in days?"

Kei remained silent.

"How long?"

"A couple of hours," Kei mumbled.

"You guys were sleeping together just two hours after you met?!"

"It might have been closer to three. I wasn't keeping track of the time with everyone shooting at me," Kei said hopefully.

"You barely came into sight of one another before you were doing it?!"

"What can I say? We clicked as soon as we met."

Iria stared out the viewport, stunned into silence. Kei had never seen her mentor quite like that. Of course, Kei had never slept with any of Iria's children either. It was new ground for both of them.

Not that any of it was Kei's fault, the troubleshooter assured herself. A responsible person would have mentioned at some point in their numerous conversations that the slicer Kei was supposed to rendezvous with happened to be Iria's son. Had she gone in knowing that, she wouldn't have viewed him as a suave, self-confident, handsome guy who it turned was not only skilled and well-endowed, but had great endurance as well. He even wanted to talk and cuddle once things cooled off instead of congratulating himself on his prowess and falling asleep, like most men. Now Kei found him so deeply etched into her mind as someone to keep around for relationship purposes that it was difficult thinking of him in terms of being related to Iria and theoretically off-limits. Very difficult. His tongue was borderline prehensile!

Kei shifted in her seat in discomfort, and not solely at Iria's own tongue-lashing She really needed to stop thinking of Mikael in that way.

Iria came out of her stupor and moaned, "I should have seen this coming. It's so typical."

"Excuse me! I do not usually jump in the sack that quick with most guys!" Probably no more than once or twice at the most. It wasn't like she kept track of the number of her lovers anymore than she did her bodycounts.

"I meant from Mikael, though I did expect better from you," Iria clarified. "He's always been this way. I never should have let that idiot, Fujikuro, watch him when I went offworld on hunts!"

"That was pretty stupid." Growing up, Kei had been left in Fujikuro's care several times when Iria had to leave the planet on business and couldn't take Kei along. He was far from an ideal man to help raise one's children. His opinion of girls was that they should not drive fast, shoot guns, bring in criminals, or any other fun stuff, and he had no reservations about lecturing a young Kei concerning his opinion. Of course, given Kei's personality, the bounty hunter's attempts to dissuade her from learning all of those things made her want them even more. The only good thing to come from spending time with Fujikuro was that every now and then he would break down (usually under heavy assault of flattery) and teach her a thing or two about explosives or firearms. It was nowhere near as thorough as Iria's training, but he passed on a bit of his own knowledge to her. But overall, the experiences of being under his tutelage had not been very enjoyable.

Kei's reminisces were cut short as Iria continued on with her own.

"I just thought a male figure in his life would be good for him, even someone as stupid as Fujikuro." Iria explained. "At first, I had no idea that idiot was meeting that madame of his every now and then when I left Mikael with him. And when he was off... doing it, he let all of the girls there watch Mikael. Not that Mikael wasn't being taken care of. He was only about seven or so when Fujikuro first began taking him there, and they all thought he was cute and doted him all the time. Honestly, they spoiled him rotten. I think it's because almost none of them have kids. But that wasn't important. Anyone with an ounce of sense would never think of taking a child to a bordello. Do you know what that bastard Fujikuro said the first time I caught him taking Mikael there?"

"No."

"'Most guys would love being raised in a whorehouse'. I punched his lights out for that one, let me tell you." She sighed. "I knew I shouldn't have let Mikael go back, but he loved it there, and they did take good care of him. He kept begging and pleading for me to let him stay when I was offworld, and I broke down and let him. I mean, it was okay in the beginning, until he hit fifteen or so. Then the girls starting taking a different sort of interest in him, and him in them. He's always looked older than he actually was, so that didn't help things. And he just has to look like that piece of shit father of his."

"Killgore's his father?" Things had been so hectic Kei hadn't considered the matter of paternity. Once she did, she realized Killgore and Mikael did look a bit like one another. Mostly in the eyes and definitely with the smile.

"Yes, but don't let him know," Iria said, an edge of panic in her voice. "I told Mikael his father was dead. Even Lance doesn't know. He left before I knew I was pregnant, and I have no intention of letting him ever going near my son. If that bastard tries it, I'll shove the explosives up his ass myself!"

Kei shuddered at the tone Iria was using. She had no doubt the woman probably would at least shoot at him, if such happened. She seemed to become a bit irrational in matters concerning her ex-husband. It would definitely be best to put the whole Killgore-Mikael connection out of her mind.

The rage left Iria's voice as she returned to the matter of her son. "Anyway, growing up in the bordello gave Mikael a certain... way, with girls. He doesn't use them and discard them or anything like that. It's just that he finds it easy to be charming, and he's like that all the time when he's with any girl he finds attractive. It's like a reflex, the same thing as you or me blinking our eyes. I don't think he even knows how not to be charming."

"You got that right," Kei said with a smile, which disappeared when Iria glared at her.

"His charm, combined with his looks, has ended up... well, let's say he has a lot of eager female admirers drop by. It drives me insane having to fend off so many cheap little floozies from trying to hit on him, not that he shows much in the way of standard and tries to resist their advances. I think he's slept with half the eligible girls in Myce. I'm probably lucky I'm not a grandmother a dozen times over," Iria lamented. "He gets it from his father. That bastard couldn't keep away from women either. At least I hammered into Mikael's head that he's to treat women with respect."

"He does," Kei said quickly, then shut up again as she decided this was not territory she wanted to venture into with Iria.

"I just want him to settle down with a good girl," Iria complained. "He's never had a steady girlfriend. I want him to be normal. Is that too much to ask?"

Sensing her mentor needed consoling, Kei put an arm affectionately around her. "Don't worry. I'm sure he will. After all, you helped raise me, and I turned out normal."

Iria gave her a half-lidded stare. "Kei, I said I was proud of you. I didn't say you were normal."

"But I am normal." Mostly. Okay, not many people had destroyed entire planets. But besides her destructive tendencies she was overall normal.

And Kei was surprised to discover she agreed with Iria, in a way. For some odd reason, she didn't approve of Mikael sleeping around either. Those girls at the bordello were way too possessive of him being their personal boytoy when business was slow. He probably ought to look into getting a nice, stable relationship with someone who was mature and available, and who could keep up with him sexually, since he was quite the energetic stud. It would definitely have to be someone older, since a woman's sex drive increased as she got more mature. He should be looking for someone like that

"Kei, is something wrong? You look a little flushed."

That snapped Kei out of the fantasy that had built up around who the ideal woman for Mikael was. "Ah, nothing. I was just thinking about Zeiram. Tell me what happened while I was gone," Kei said, eager to change the subject.

Iria nodded, seemingly just as eager. "Well, we went to this space station, that's no longer there by the way, when-"

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kei tensed slightly, as she always did, when walking through the umbilical that connected the Creeper V to the Lovely Angel. The journey from Myce had taken an hour, which had been more than enough time for Iria to inform her of what had happened during Kei's absence. Already her mind was pondering what Zeiram, and his handler's, latest actions meant. Unfortunately, like Iria, she still hadn't come up with any answers.

Now that Kei was finally returning to the shot up remains of her own ship, she considered a more urgent matter: what to say to Yuri about the trip. Back on Myce, the original plan had been for Kei to brag about how she had landed herself a young stud while Yuri had been left as lonely and frustrated as ever. That plan had gone out the airlock. Since Yuri was bound to find out Mikael was Iria's son, that meant not breathing a word of their illicit affair, which had been really fun and the perfect salve for the wounds her recent birthday had inflicted upon her. It almost hurt, not being able to brag about it to Yuri. But it had to be that way. Kei would claim everything went as planned. She met the guy, dropped off the chip, and got drunk. And she'd be sure to tell Yuri Mikael was gay, since there was no way in Hell Kei would let Yuri even think of having him for herself. It was a secret Kei would be taking to her grave.

The airlock to the Lovely Angel irised open, revealing a waiting Yuri next to the door.

Yuri stopped leaning casually against the wall, uncrossed her arms, and said, "Shame on you, Kei, sleeping with Iria's son. That's almost the same thing as incest. And he's so young, it's practically pedophilia as well."

Kei recoiled in horror. "How-" she gulped out.

Yuri could barely reign in the laughter at seeing her partner in such a flustered state. "Bob told me."

Kei snarled. Bob must have been listening in on their conversation on the way back and let his loose synthesizer spout every deep lurid detail to Yuri. Kei was going to find a few dozen viruses to insert into his system to show what she thought of computer intelligences who couldn't keep their noses out of matters that didn't concern them and felt the need to spew their gossip to the last person in the world who needed to hear it.

Yuri tried to be serious, but her mirth broke through the illusion of disapproval she was trying to project. "Really, Kei, you let your animal impulses get you into so much trouble. You wouldn't see me throwing myself on my back and spreading my legs for some guy I just met."

Kei removed a small holographic projector, one she had purchased during a slow part of her second day on Myce, and held it in the open palm of her hand. She thrust it in Yuri's direction so she could see it clearly. Her finger clicked the side and activated the hologram, letting it show off a picture of Mikael. He standing alone, posing by leaning against a wall and unleashing that smile that Kei had found so intriguing. She had originally taken the picture when she had intended to tell Yuri everything.

"Wow, he's cute!" Yuri whistled appreciatively.

Point proven, Kei shut down the device and returned it to her pocket. There were some other, more risqué pictures in there she had no intention of sharing with Yuri. "And it is not incestuous, I'll have you know. I'm not related to him anymore than I am to you."

"But Iria's like a mother to you," Yuri taunted.

It was Kei's turn to shift uncomfortably at Yuri's point, which was true, unfortunately. "Well, yeah, but he wasn't like a brother to me since I never met him until three days ago," Kei said, trying to retake the initiative.

"And he's what, fifteen?"

"Eighteen and you just whistled at his picture, my fellow 'pedophile'," Kei pointed out. "And he looks older than that. At least early twenties. And you know as well as I do that when it comes to guys 'eighteen' is just another word for 'stamina'."

"And 'inexperience'." Yuri remembered well her encounters with eighteen year olds, back when she was eighteen herself, of course. Unlike Kei she was no pedophile trying to take advantage of poor naive teenagers.

"Actually he was raised in a bordello, and learned lots of neat and interesting things from the professionals there. I learned a new trick or two as well," Kei boasted.

Yuri considered that. "He roll over and play dead afterwards?"

"Cuddled and talked."

Yuri slapped a hand affectionately on Kei's back. "Sounds like he'd be a keeper... if he wasn't your brother."

"He is not my brother!" Kei insisted.

"And to think, if you were to marry him and have kids, he'd have more in common with them than you since he'd be so much closer in age to them."

"He is not that young!" Kei looked angry enough to go for the sidearm Iria had given her to replace the one that had been destroyed in the bar.

"Oh, relax. Let's just forget this whole thing and never bring it up again."

While Yuri's mouth said one thing, the twinkle in her eyes informed Kei that this would never be forgotten, and would actually be brought up repeatedly for a very long time to come, just like every other bad thing Kei had ever done that Yuri had found out about. It was times like these that Kei understood the 3WA's age old axiom about treating one's partner with respect since 'they know where all the corpses are buried'.

The two began to make their way to the bridge. As they walked, Yuri's demeanor became more serious. "I'm worried about that attack on you by the Mustang. That thing with that Ballless guy was probably coincidence, but I don't think the fighter attack was."

"Two coincidences is one too many," Kei agreed. "The question is who sent it out and how did they know where I was."

"Only a few people knew you'd be out there at that time." Yuri watched Kei closely to gauge her response.

"Which means either a leak on Killgore's side or they tracked me by some sort of unknown means," Kei supplied in answer. "Tormand is a big corporation. They might be able to track us somehow with some weird new device."

"Maybe, but there's something else you should know that complicates things."

"Oh?" Kei came to a stop and arched her eyebrow in curiosity.

"I sent a report to headquarters on the situation and requested backup."

Kei went from curious to angry in the blink of an eye. "I told you we can handle things!"

"Like we have so far?" Yuri retorted. "We've been running after Zeiram for way too long, and end up only picking up after him, when he isn't nearly killing us. He's blazing a trial of destruction of the kind the press usually blames us for, and we aren't any closer to stopping him. Also there seems to be some other player in the game and we don't know who, which really bothers me. As much as I want to trust Killgore and company, I can't, especially after you were nearly killed just after you left here."

Kei wanted to disagree with her, but it was futile. The damage was done, and Yuri's points were valid, even if Kei hated the fact more than anything. "So what did headquarters have to say?"

"Nothing, and they've had plenty of time to respond," Yuri intoned ominously. "I sent the message three times. Even with the distances involved, communications satellites should have relayed the message a dozen times over by now."

"Did you check our communications array? It did take a nasty beating when we went head to head with that battleship."

Yuri nodded. "Everything checked out. I ran diagnostics three times. On the offhand chance the diagnostics is also bad, I had Bob send the message, too. He didn't get a response either. He can't figure anything wrong at our end. It seems like the message is being sent out with no problems."

Kei felt a creeping tension seep into her stomach. While she didn't want headquarters involved at the moment, she did want the option of calling in reinforcements should the situation take a turn for the worse. Or more worse, to be accurate. "So either headquarters can't answer, won't answer, or our communication isn't getting through."

"Bad news, no matter the situation. I kind of doubt it's the first, though. If anything really bad happened at HQ, they would have said something on the news. That's not the sort of publicity that can be locked down"

"Where's the nearest divisional office out here?" Kei asked.

"Fifteen star systems away." The 3WA's main tools were field agents sent out to trouble spots, not setting up expensive, permanent ground facilities on thousands of planets on the offhand chance they'd be needed there someday. With the 3WA's charter, their agents were allowed to go just about everywhere and do nearly everything. Agents could usually requisition whatever specific items they needed for the field from most local planetary governments if it came to that.

"We could try sending out the request using someone else's deep space transceivers," Kei suggested.

Yuri shook her head this time. "There's no guarantee we'd be able to receive a response at our ship since we aren't getting anything from HQ now, and staying in one spot long enough to wait for a response, if there is one, isn't likely due to how fast we've been on the move. Even now Killgore's trying to figure out where Mushroom Head might be heading next."

"Did they figure out what he wanted on the station?"

"From the looks of things, he just trashed another YSC facility, though I think there was something else involved too. Zeiram didn't stick around to kill enough people."

"I thought the space station was destroyed."

"It was, but it was by coincidence, not design. I can't help but feel there was something other than destroying another YSC facility behind this."

"You think Killgore's holding out on us?"

"Or his employers are," Yuri said. "He is just like us, a field agent. You know how our HQ likes giving things out on a need to know basis. I doubt if working for a corporation the size of YSC is any better."

"I bet the pay's better," Kei grumbled.

"Looks like you're going to get your wish about going this alone."

"Only now I'm beginning to think you're right about needing help," Kei lamented, about both possibly wanting help and admitting Yuri had been right. "Maybe Mikael will be able to get us the information we want. He seemed like he knew his stuff."

Yuri became playful. "Yes, tell me all about him. Is it true what they say about incest being the best?"

"Would you knock it off?!" Kei raged.

Yuri turned at an intersection and ran down one of the longer corridors running the length of the ship, shouting over her shoulder. "Wait until I tell everyone back at HQ about this!"

"Don't you dare breathe a word of this to anyone, or by the time I'm done with you, you'll wish Zeiram had chewed you up and used your DNA to crap out Zeiramnoids," Kei promised as she raced after her partner.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Iria finished disconnecting the umbilical linking the two ships and pulled away from the Lovely Angel. She watched the instrument panel carefully until the connector had been retracted and safely stored in its proper place.

Bob's voice suddenly filled the ship. "' I didn't say anything because I wanted the two of you to meet without any silly preconceived notions about one another and act awkwardly or something.' Oh please."

Iria glared at the portable computer on her wrist. "What's that supposed to mean? And what did I tell you about eavesdropping on private conversations?"

"That I should listen to everything, while pretending I'm not, and only interject myself when I feel it's warranted."

"I never said that!"

"I did, and since this is a partnership of two, I do it half the time. And quit trying to change the subject."

Iria's eyes darted around the confines of the ship. "I have no idea what you mean. And I need to clean up around here. It's a mess." Iria began to throw away the assortment of open food containers that Kei had discarded on the floor during their return trip.

"You can't fool me," Bob's voice warned. "You were trying to match them up, weren't you? Only things progressed a lot faster than you wanted."

Iria stopped what she was doing and looked guiltily at her wrist computer. "I just want Mikael to settle down a little. He's more promiscuous than a football team with unlimited access to cheerleaders and booze. And Kei needs to settle down, too. She takes way too many risks and is lucky to still be alive. And it's not like she's getting any younger, and I know for a fact she doesn't have any romantic prospects right now. I just think if the two of them were to become an item one thing might lead to another and everyone would be happier for it." She smiled hopefully at the terminal.

Bob's voice remained disapproving, but with some of the edge lost to it. "But Mikael is your son and Kei was sort of like your daughter. It does sound kind of bad, the idea of you matching them up."

"But she's not my daughter, and I never really though of her in those sorts of terms. I was only eighteen when I picked her up, and she was six. She was more like a little sister than anything, and even then it wasn't exactly like that," Iria pointed out.

"You were certainly a mother figure to her."

Iria chewed her lip. "Just because I didn't view her as a daughter doesn't mean I didn't love her just as much," she said defensively. "In any case, I'm doing what any proper guardian and mother would do in looking out for their collective welfare."

"I guess so," Bob said reluctantly. Despite being electronic, the tone all but said that while he didn't approve of what was happening, he was resigned to letting it happen without further protest.

"And it's not like I'm trying to push them together or anything," Iria said with a touch of pride at being able to beat Bob in an argument. It didn't happen often. He was the more level-headed of the two, and even at her worst, Iria never believed otherwise. "I just let them meet under neutral circumstances. They're doing everything themselves. I'd prefer they take things slower is all. I mean, they should have dated for a while before going that far," Iria grumbled as she remembered the first moment she spotted the pair together in their room at the bordello. Ideally, she wanted them to have a long lasting and permanent relationship, not a quick roll in the hay followed by a shallow, torrid fling. That was the main reason she had warned Kei after catching the two of them in the act (almost). Hopefully her former ward would take the advice to heart. Only time would tell how the two would react the next time they met each other. She hoped it wouldn't be too awkward.

Iria noted Bob had been silent for a while. "You won't tell them my ulterior motives?"

"The damage is already done. Besides, it does make things interesting around here." Bob laughed in amusement.

"Interesting things are not something my life lacks," Iria said dryly. Bounty hunting made for a very interesting life. While there were plenty of dry, dull cases, with bail jumpers, computer hackers, or kids making off with stolen property, Iria's efficiency and reputation meant she had plenty of other, more risky assignments offered to her. Serial killers, mass murders, and gangs of thieves and thugs that would slit a person's throat as often as they had to relieve themselves had all been brought in by her. Interesting things indeed.

Iria wondered if it was time when she should make them less so. She had built up a good bit of money over the years for taking on the most dangerous of cases. Only travel fees, ammo and weapons costs, some medical bills, and replacing destroyed spaceships were her only real expenses. Mikael was already making enough money doing computer work to support himself and his own apartment, and he took pride in that fact. He lived on his own, buying whatever he needed without asking for a credit from his mother. He had even offered to loan her money if she needed it, not that she did. His intelligence and independence was something that filled Iria with motherly pride, even if she felt a touch sad that her son had grown up to the point that he no longer needed her for such things.

By now Iria had a sizable nest egg, one that would allow her an early retirement, or at least to cut back on the number of jobs she had to take. Finances weren't a problem. There was also her health to consider. Her body wasn't what it used to be, and the aches and pains from taking down a difficult bountyhead didn't disappear like they used to. She still had a lingering stiffness in her elbow from taking a bullet several missions ago, and her back grumbled at her when she slept wrong. It reminded her of her own mortality, though she still felt ten years younger than her actual age. But sooner or later time would catch up to her and dull her reflexes. That could mean the difference between life and death, or at least life and a nasty maiming. She still had all of her original body parts, and intended to keep it that way.

With all the elements of the past coming together this way: Kei, Killgore, and Zeiram, Iria could not help looking back and reassessing what her life was actually like. It left her wondering if maybe she should stop merely pondering retirement and take the actual step toward it. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. The timing was too perfect. It would be nice to stop and enjoy life for a change, especially if Mikael and Kei calmed down a bit and she could stop worrying about them as well.

It was something to seriously consider. She'd have to think about it after she put Zeiram down for good. So long as he existed, she could never consider retirement, never consider rest, not even for a second. The abomination had taken her beloved big brother, Gren, from her, made her destroy what remained of him when that monster merged with his body. Gren's face bubbling out from Zeiram's body still haunted her dreams every now and then, and she would wake up bathed in sweat and eyes tearing as she remembered her greatest failure. Her hatred for the inhuman monster was all-consuming, and she would track him to the ends of the universe until she was a hundred if that was what it took to eradicate his vile form for eternity. Twenty-seven years ago she had thought she was successful; this time there would be no chance of a slip up, no matter who she had to kill. This was the last time the name 'Zeiram' would ever pass through anyone's lips.

"Just wait, you bastard. I'm coming," she whispered under her breath.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lance Eugene Killgore head was tilted upward as he stared in consternation at the communication screen that took up the majority of the wall in front of him. The purloined ship from Farscots had also been designed by them. Their culture seemed to have a fixation on excessively large screens that tilted upward so one had to angle their heads to look at them. It was odd, and hard on the neck when one had to communicate over a long period of time with someone.

Currently the screen depicted the image of a slender woman that appeared to be in her early twenties. She had wavy chestnut-colored hair that stopped in the middle of her shoulderblades and a beauty that would have made men stop in their tracks if it wasn't for the ice that was ever present in her blue eyes. They were as cold as a robot's, and Killgore had a feeling that making love to her would have had all the passion of such. No, it would have been worse, since fooling around with machines was supposed to lack emotion, and to have a person respond similarly would have been wrong on some instinctive level.

The woman known to Killgore only as Springer was his contact with Yurenex-Solivar Corporation. The tight fitting business suit she wore cost more than what 99% of the employees of her company made in a year, though he'd wager she didn't exist anywhere on their payroll. YSC was like anyone in a position of power that liked doing things under the table, and made culpable deniability an art form.

From the information Killgore had gathered, Springer was the company's go-to person for physical solutions to problems that required ignoring legal boundaries, and she had sufficient connections to access many forms of physical solutions. That was about all he had learned of her, despite his extensive check into her background. The woman was as mysterious as she was inhuman. Killgore didn't like not knowing what the people he dealt with were like or what was at stake when was hired to do a job. Many of those seeking out his services were already backstabbers to begin with, and few of them had any compunctions about doing the same to him in the name of expediency. YSC was better about it than most, having paid him well and dealt with him honestly before. They seemed pragmatic about the need to keep Killgore informed on what he needed to know to complete the tasks they assigned him.

Until now.

Zeiram's path (which was actually Anton Scorphius' path) had been straightforward at first, knocking out every YSC holding, legal or otherwise, that stood in his path. Since the destruction of the YSC liner, it had become erratic and unreadable, at least to Killgore's perspective. YSC had been certain the next target would be Station Zionacht and they had been correct, though they hadn't informed Killgore of why that was. When he sent them the information on what had transpired at the station, they had again gone silent until this most recent communiqué.

"I really don't like being kept in the dark about things like this," Killgore growled, letting his displeasure be known. It wouldn't intimidate or scare Springer, he wasn't sure anything did, but she would inform her superiors that their number one mercenary field team was displeased. Killgore was on retainer, not an employee. Beholden to them he was not, and he could pull out on them at any time for only the cost of his retainer. It was in situations like this he was sorely tempted to do just that.

Springer's voice was cool professionalism. While not exactly emotionless, it was closer to analytical than robotic. "It was deemed you didn't need to know, and you didn't. We pointed you in the right direction. You failed to deliver the goods."

"It was hostile territory, and I had to ascertain the target's location if you want me to do what you asked me to. I couldn't exactly just blow the station apart."

"Yet that's what happened in the end,"

"Thanks to your boss's little brother screwing around and that defect in your Bottweilers. Without them running interference, we'd have nailed big mean and green." While that wasn't the unequivocal truth, neither could it be refuted. It never hurt to emphasize how badly misinformation could undercut the ability to achieve one's goals.

Springer displayed no reaction to Killgore's reprimand. "I'll download the data to you. In the meantime, you now know exactly where Zeiram's next target is: our facility on Terrakon 6. This is the only location with the necessary elements to complete the compound. I should warn you, this is only a facility on the planet. We do not control the city or the defense forces, which are considerable. Do not come in with guns blazing. You will act in a discreet manner. You will rendezvous at the location where you will work in the operation with another team."

Another team. That didn't bode well. So far YSC had been content to allow the teams on this hunt to operate independently, giving Killgore and his own a wide berth. "I don't like other guys hanging around. It cramps my style."

"Then you should have acquired the target at its last location. It has been judged you are in need of support."

"I've already got support."

"Yes, an outer rim bounty hunter and the Dirty Pair." Now there was a hint of emotion in Springer's voice. Just the barest hint of anger. It surprised him. He hadn't thought her capable of any emotion. "We do not like the 3WA sticking their noses in matters that would best pass by their notice. They need to be eliminated."

"I've got the situation under control." And he did. The cute little troubleshooters didn't know anything Killgore didn't want them to. Of course, what his employers didn't want them to know might not be the same thing, but Killgore found he could live with that. He was more concerned about Iria than either of the Dirty Pair. She was the loose canon in that mix. A pity he couldn't assuage her anger in some way, but she had made her hatred for him clear. It was rare any of his former lovers could stay mad at him for so long. But then, he had never married any of them, and Iria was one of a kind in everything she did. It was the reason he had married her, and only her, in his lifetime.

Springer's voice reverted to its previous coldness. "The target already has a head start. You'd better move fast in order to catch up. Out."

The signal was terminated at the other end and the image of the attractive woman winked out. Once it was gone, Killgore made an obscene gesture at the blank screen. Ultimately pointless, but personally satisfying. He considered the new information. More teams meant more problems. He'd have to inform the girls to haul their collectively cute asses and follow his lead to the next destination. This time he wanted to nail Zeiram before the destruction began.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

The spaceport on Terrakon 6 was crowded with close to thirty thousand people, due to it being the major space hub in the closest ten systems, as well as it being tourist season. Despite the high number of people crammed into such a small space, the quartet of individuals that had recently disembarked from Interstellar Flight 398 had managed the impossible feat of moving about easily. That was due to the unwillingness of anyone in the crowds of people to draw near them. The sea of humanity parted as they moved forward, and it stared at them as they walked past.

The figure in the lead appeared the most normal. He was a male in his early thirties with swarthy skin, a mechanical eye, and a perpetual smile. He was tall at six feet four inches, and in obvious superior physical shape despite wearing a loose overcoat. The only noticeable characteristic about him was the carrying case at his right arm. It was attached to his wrist, not by a chain or some other connecting device, but rather directly at the wrist, taking the place of his hand.

The second and third men stood side-by-side, walking in perfect tandem with one another. While they wore the same outfits, similar to the leader's in that it showed off their healthy forms, they sharply contrasted with one another as the one on the right was a pale albino while his companion's skin was as dark as a coal mine. The albino stood out in even more bizarre fashion. The top of his head was totally flat, as though the first three inches had been taken off and leveled so that tiny planes could use it as a landing strip. Compounding things was a nose akin to a proboscis which pointed far and outward.

The darker of the pair was outwardly normal, like the man in the lead. However he drew attention from the pair of twin sledgehammers, that were nearly as tall as he was, slung across his back.

The strangest of all was the individual bringing up the rear. Shrouded in an oversized trenchcoat with the collar turned up and a wide brimmed hat hung low, every inch of the nine foot tall, five foot wide, frame was concealed from sight. Even the gender of the figure could not be determined through the bulky coat and hat.

The group's passage came to an abrupt halt as an obstruction appeared in the course the quartet were taking. A single person refused to move out of their way.

"Howdy, Springer," the man in the lead said in amused tones.

The woman turned her cold gaze upon the quartet. "It's nice to see you know how to keep from drawing attention to yourselves."

"Some of us know how to avoid being seen," a soft feminine voice whispered in Springer's ear.

Springer didn't react to the arrival of the assassin known as Whisper, who had moved more quietly than her namesake. She turned to see the taller, non-descrept woman standing plain as day next to her, as though she had always been there. The assassin wore trousers and a blouse in a man's style. Besides that, she was unremarkable in any way and could have blended in effortlessly with any crowd on a thousand worlds and no one would remember her once she was out of eyesight. It was the perfect camouflage for one of her skills.

Springer returned her attention to the four people before her. 'Big Shot' Dane, was the leader, even now beaming at her with his eternal smile. The Winston twins, Harrison 'The Hammer' and his brother, Artus 'The Anvil' came next in the procession. Both were quiet yet intimidating. As their names suggested, getting between them was the same was being caught between their monikers, and no one had yet to withstand the sort of punishment they could deliver. Bringing up the rear was the giant, Stegrax. With Whisper's arrival, Dane's team was all present and accounted for.

Peering down at the case connected to the leader's arm, Springer asked, "How did you get that through customs?"

Dane pulled out his passport with the appendage that still had fingers. He opened it up, allowing her to see what was written inside. "Diplomatic Immunity. After we did a little job for the government on Gaaraa, they let us join their diplomatic corps. Wasn't that sweet of them?" Dane's bemused grin became even wider.

It was at that moment that a child, not paying attention to where she was going as she stared out a window that showed a spaceship taking off, bumped into the back of Stegrax. She looked up at the hulking mass and said, "Sorry, Mister."

The giant turned. As it did so, metal triangular shaped plates sprang out, ripping through the back of the trenchcoat and shredding it. It turned, the coat opening just enough to show gleaming silver underneath. Bending low, a robotic face with a pointed snout in the shape of a lizard unleashed a low snarl at the child.

She wet herself on the spot.

"No, you can't eat her," Dane said in an authoritative tone.

The animal face turned to the speaker. Red-faceted eyes, that bore more emotion than Springer's natural ones, captured the image of Dane in its many edges. Stegrax snarled an inhuman response to the leader of his team.

The case fell away from Dane's hand, revealing the gun-like projection of a weapon's pod fused to the flesh. There was a click as one of the various barrels moved into firing position. He walked over and pointed his muzzle at Stegrax's, nudging it slightly.

"I know you're cranky after a long flight, but you have to behave yourself. Don't make me splatter that brain of yours all over the place. Remember, you're a cyborg, not a robot. You need the gray matter to get by."

For a moment, the cyborg seemed to consider lunging at the man. Then the artificial crimson fire in the eyes dulled, and Stegrax backed off.

Satisfied the situation was under control for the moment, and unwilling to risk it deteriorating further, Dane removed his weapon from Stegrax's face.

As though the exchange had never happened, Springer said, "We will head toward the Holcomb Building which is Scorphius' target. Since you are here first, the security forces will be placed in your charge."

"First?" Dane asked.

"Killgore and his contingent have also been assigned to the task. Assuming he gets here before the target, you will split the reward two ways, as well as the bonus fee for successful completion of the mission. This is not negotiable or optional."

"No problem, no problem," Dane said casually. "I'm a professional. I'll do what it takes to get the job done, and you guys are paying top dollar for the best there is." He primped himself up with the declaration.

Springer began to turn away and head for the nearest exit, then stopped halfway. "However, there are a pair of 3WA troubleshooters with him. Silencing them is an integral part of the mission. It doesn't matter how you do it, so long as it I done."

The order made Dane scratch his chin, where just a hint of stubble showed. "Killing 3WA agents can be a bit dicey. They don't take kindly to that. I might need a little extra cash for the hassle." There was an attempt at sincerity in his voice, but the look in his eyes was all greed.

Springer completed her turn and began walking to the exit. "You killed a 3WA agent on Rodial Prime. You will not be in any worse trouble for eliminating these two."

"Uh, right." Dane found himself talking to her back as she continued walking away. He looked at his companions, shrugged, and followed her.

They had caught up to Springer as she made it to the air curtain separating the inside of the terminal from the outside. The wind blew past their faces as she led them into the sweltering heat of Terrakon 6's summer. "A truck will arrive in a moment. It has the gear you requested. You can outfit yourselves as you travel to the site of the operation. The security chief, Milon Sancrest, will meet you there. He has already been instructed to obey you."

Instructions given, Springer continued her relentless gait and headed toward the curb. As she did so sleek hoverlimosine appeared, as if by magic. It arrived at the same instant she did, its rear passenger door opening automatically, allowing her to enter without slowing down in her walk.

Before the door swung closed, Dane called out, "How about a date after this is all done?"

Her eyes locked on him for a second. "We will not be meeting again." The door finished closing, leaving Dane to stare at his reflection in the mirrored surface of windows that could withstand anything short of a missile hitting them.

"You were shot down, Boss," the albino, Artus, informed him.

"Girl's a 'bot underneath all that make up, I'm sure of it," Harrison said, his voice eerily sounding the same as his brother's.

"Nah, she's human. Just a hard one to figure out. But those are the best ones to fool around with. Just like our dear Whisper." He moved his hand out to fondle the assassin's bottom, but discovered she was no longer there.

"I'm more concerned about the rivals that will be cutting into out cash flow," Whisper said from behind Dane. Her tone was casual, as though she had been there since they had emerged outside.

Dane reacted as though the assassin's movement were commonplace. "Ah yes, our dear Mr. Killgore. He's taken a lot of prime deals in our lifetime, hasn't he, gang?"

"Too many," Harrison agreed, his hand moving up to unconsciously stroke the head of one of his sledgehammers.

Dane's turned his eternal smile on his companions. "Well, you know how things in this business can go. People get killed in crossfires all the time, and with us gunning for Scorphius Zeiram, and a couple of pesky troubleshooters, why, Killgore might end up accidentally having a wad of plasma take his head off." Dane fondled his weapon pod affectionately.

"Such a shame," Artus agreed.

"I've always wanted to tangle with a Samisdat," Whisper said, the only sign of her intense excitement a slight narrowing of her eyes.

"Here comes the truck," Harrison informed the others.

"Then let's get this show on the road," Dane said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[End noted]

Yeah! More SOABF done. In know this was a set up chapter, but hey, you got to have them sometimes. Honestly, this story is more than halfway done. I'm pretty sure. Well, we'll find out one way or the other.

DB Sommer


	10. Chapter 10

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot Chapter 10

Any and all CC is appreciated. You can contact me at

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And Angcobra is now storing some of my fics, at /AngCobra

[Standard Disclaimer] I don't own the right to any of the Dirty Pair or Iria: Zeiram, the Animation characters.

xxxxxxxxxxx

By the time the armored truck arrived at YSC's ground facility, the ten acres of sprawling research labs called the Holcomb Complex, 'Big Shot' Dane and the other four members of his mercenary unit had suited up using the equipment that had been provided by their current employer. As the truck pulled up to a stop, they poured out of the rear of the vehicle, an imposing sight to the guards standing outside the loading dock the truck had driven up to.

Dane was dressed in a bright yellow and blue uniform with a number of gray lines running up and down the arms and legs. The outfit was a custom-made Farrgan Frame, which ran the fine line between defense and agility. It was composed of absorption mesh that absorbed kinetic impacts to a large degree, making the wearer impervious to small arms projectile fire. Whatever shock the mesh was incapable of cushioning, it would distribute the remainder evenly throughout the wearer's body, protecting him from all but the most severe impacts. Due to its skintight nature it afforded the wearer a maximum of mobility.

The offensive power came from the exo-frame embedded in the mesh that increased the wearer's strength five-fold. Its use was limited to about five minutes before the frame ran out of power, but Dane knew that any fight against their current opponents would not last five minutes, win or lose.

There were a variety of pouches and a belt that held a number of smaller items at different parts of the body. But they were nothing compared to the weapons pod that had replaced his right hand. A number of different weapons, from lasers to masers to projectiles, were concealed in the extraordinarily versatile attachment that cost more than a standard battle tank. About the only thing Dane couldn't do with it was scratch his nose.

Artus and his sibling, Harrison, were the next to exit, jumping down to the ground and landing at the exact same time and manner, their knees even bent at identical angles as their feet hit the duracrete. The albino and his dark-skinned brother wore much bulkier exo-frames that were clearly visible to the naked eye and would provide far more raw strength for a longer duration than Dane's could. These were augmented by golden bracer attachments that ran the lengths of their arms and legs, each with sharp edges that would make brushing against them a painful experience.

About the only difference in their raiment were the items strapped to their backs. Slung across Harrison's were twin sledgehammers whose handles, bristling with wiring and readouts, indicated they were no mundane pieces of wood and steel. Artus had a large powerpack whose cables fed into a special jackport that was embedded in the back of his neck.

The last to exit was the only one who was wearing less now than when he boarded. Stegrax had discarded his trenchcoat, and now stood glistening under the noonday sun. His cybernetic body was in the shape of a bulky bipedal dinosaur. The fierce-looking snout was that of a carnivorous beast, while plates stood up on his back and a long spiked tail was attached to his rear. It appeared the tail should have dragged on the ground due to its length, but sensors kept it poised no more than three millimeters above it, preventing the extra appendage from causing unnecessary destruction. The cyborg's chassis massed at least two tons, and thumped loudly as he plodded toward the facility.

One of the guards stepped forward from the rest of the group, all of whom had tensed up at the appearance of the newcomers. While he wore the same uniform as the others, his was different from the rest by the rank of sergeant shoulders.

"Greetings," the sergeant said formally to Dane. His hand started to rise up, intending a handshake, when it stopped as he realized what he would be trying to shake. He recovered and settled for a deep bow.

Dane didn't bow back. "You that Milon Sancrest guy?"

The sergeant appeared irritated by Dane's rudeness. "No, he's at the command center keeping a close watch on things, in case of attack. I'm to take you to him."

"Then let's get going." Dane indicated the sergeant should lead the way.

"I was informed there would be five of you," the sergeant mentioned.

"There are," a quiet voice said in his ear.

The sergeant jumped and nearly went for his side arm. He had never heard Whisper approach. She was dressed in a completely different manner from the others. A skin-tight outfit whose colors seemed to shift to blend into the background hugged her frame. While it wasn't a perfect form of camouflage, it made it difficult to see her from anything but straight on, especially since she was so slender and unobtrusive. She wore a blue visor over her eyes, with a set of wires leading from it to entry ports in her neck. A couple of small pistols and a bandoleer of shurikens were her only form of obvious weaponry.

"We'd better get going," the sergeant seconded, wanting to put as much distance between himself and the creepy newcomers as he could.

The route through the base took time, with security outposts at nearly every corner. As they walked, Dane began interrogating their guide. "What are the defenses like here?"

The sergeant's mood improved and confidence entered his stride. "Holcomb is the most secure facility in YSC, outside of the bio center on Arema and the main headquarters on Danube. The facility is surrounded on all sides by a wall ten meters high and composed of titanium-lined duracrete that can withstand a bulldozer plowing into it. Every millimeter of the area is watched above and below with overlapping sensors. There's a quarter kilometer of open terrain between the inside of the walls and the main building, all of that watched as well. The building's outer wall is composed of meter-thick duracrete with ferriman alloy sheets as well, which can resist small explosives without being scratched. There are only five entryways into the facility, all of them with double the normal guard detail and watched as well. The control center is deep underground in the base, and impervious to anything short of a small nuclear explosion. With the current crisis on our hands, our entire security staff is here, as well as others from neighboring facilities. We now have over 200 highly trained security personnel on site, all of them armed with at least high duty laser rifles. We also have several roving teams with heavier weaponry that operate in sets of four. We're as secure as humanly possible."

"About time I was given something decent to work with," Dane said.

The rest of the journey progressed in silence. They were forced to go through no less than three different 'checkpoints' where their identities were reconfirmed. Each was a room lined with thick metal doors and walls and a host of deadly weapons that would be turned on them should they fail to pass any of the inspections.

Eventually they came to what the sergeant dubbed the 'inner sanctum' of Holcomb. After a half dozen retina, voiceprint, and other nearly impossible to circumvent security measures, they arrived at the control center of the facility, where the man in charge of the installation was waiting for them. He was dressed in the same type of white and gold uniform as the rest of the security staff, though he had an ostentatious number of bars on his shoulders. He appeared to be in his late thirties, and in superior physical shape.

He rose to greet them, moving stiffly, yet with a cautious step. He went to shake Dane's hand until he, like the sergeant before him, discovered the complications that entailed. He bowed, and introduced himself. "Colonel Milon Sancrest, formerly of Cartasia and a member of his Imperial Warlord's Black Troops." His chest puffed out in pride.

Dane scratched his head. "Cartasian Black Troops? That name sounds familiar."

Harrison spoke up. "We killed about two dozen of them last year on Thermagin."

"Why don't I remember them?"

"They were pretty easy to kill," Artus supplied.

"That would explain it," Dane said in satisfaction, smiling at his teammate.

The veins on Milon's forehead bulged in fury. Before he could bluster out an insult, Dane spoke. "We'll be taking control of the facility now. I'm sure you've been doing a... competent job, but the real professionals are here. You just keep operating things like you were while I look over the specifics and I'll tell you where you need to beef up things."

"I assure you, this building is impenetrable," Milon said, barely reigning in his anger.

"I doubt that. I can think of three different ways me and my crew could crack this nut," Dane bragged.

Whisper added, "Of course, if we were breaking into this place, people as good as us wouldn't be waiting inside to deal with intruders, would they?"

"Heh, there is that, and that's what'll make the difference when Big Z comes a knockin'," Dane said as began toying with his weapons pod.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dalia Montenegro was fantasizing about what she was going to do on her upcoming vacation. She and her ship, the 'Durango', had just entered Terrakon 6's orbit, and all that remained was to land the beast of a cargo hauler at the spaceport and it was off for a whole week of unadulterated fun. Skiing in the Yawew Mountains sounded like the best option. After being cooped up in a mining ship for the last three months, selling off the ore into more manageable trade goods, and finding a buyer on Terrakon 6, she needed fresh air, a landscape, and a real sky to gaze up at instead of the unlimited vastness of space. There was even a certain customs official who might be worth spending some time with. Hot tubbing, massages, and a handsome man were all Dalia was looking forward to.

And then the SOS came in.

"Shit!" Dalia punched up the Durango's sensor array in an effort to locate the source of the distress signal. It was a ship not more than two light minutes away.

Even as she began reading the specifics of the message, Dalia hit the intercom and shouted to one of her three fellow crewwomen, "Yo, Trace, we just picked up an SOS we're two minutes from."

A whiny response came back. "Come on! We're fifteen minutes away from landing, and we're not a rescue ship. Alert the authorities."

It was times like this Dalia hated her shipmates. By the end of three months of being exclusively in each other's company, all they wanted was to not be around one another at almost any cost. Experience had taught Dalia that working only with women in a confined space was always a bad idea. The only thing worse would be working with only women and one guy. That had happened once. Never again!

Dalia's reply was curt and laden with an unspoken warning. "We can't. He's got a hull breach and venting oxy." She examined the sensor array that confirmed that the ship was indeed leaking oxygen. "He might not have five minutes, depending on how fast he's pissing air. So suit up."

"Right, right. Suit up, people! We're going to move out!"

The intercom went dead.

Dalia guided the Durango alongside the ship in question, another cargo hauler, though of a different make and model. There were no visible signs of distress, save for the main hatchway being opened ever so slightly. Maybe it was a systems failure. It didn't matter. The one great law of spacers was that any SOS was always answered. Tracy and the others would board the ship, find out what was wrong, secure the crew, then let the authorities deal with it. Dalia had already forwarded the distress call planetside, and they had assured her rescue units were on the way and would be there in less than half an hour.

Through the viewport Dalia watched as the Durango's connecting tube affixed itself to the ruptured hatch. That would halt the oxygen bleed and enable Tracy and the others to board her.

Tracy's voice came over the intercom from her space suit's transmitter. "We're ready."

Now that they were firmly connected, Dalia used the tube's overrides to pop open the other ship's hatch. There was a brief bust of static as she heard Tracy call out "Holy-" and then static.

Dalia was caught off guard by the cry. It was probably nothing. Tracy was prone to histrionics, and made a big deal out of nothing. She once had the crew fumigate the entire ship on the basis of finding one cockroach she herself had probably brought in on her uniform or something. "Trace, what is it?"

There was no response.

"Aimee, Shan, respond!"

Again, nothing.

Then she heard it. A noise that came from the inside of her ship. A low, dull, thumping sound, as though someone was carrying a great weight, and each ponderous step sent reverberations through the ship.

Pirates? Could it have been some sort of hijacking? Impossible. No pirate would be stupid enough to try to hijack a ship in planetary orbit. The authorities would nail them before they made it to the nearest moon. What could it be?

The thumping grew louder. Dalia reached under the console and drew the laser pistol she had concealed there. Whatever was coming, it would end up with an entire magazine's worth of holes in it. She wasn't a marksman, but with only two meters between her and the door to the bridge, she didn't have to be. Once she had dealt with whoever was approaching, Dalia would go over to the other ship and find out what happened to her crew. And if anything had happened to them, there would be hell to pay.

The thumping stopped right outside the door. Dalia took a deep breath and calmed herself as she held the pistol aimed right at the center of the door. It wasn't locked. There wasn't a need to. Holing up wasn't an option since she had to get out there and discover what had happened to her friends.

The door slid open, revealing the cause of the disturbance.

Dalia would have described herself as having nerves of steel. She had flown through asteroid belts while being shot at by an irate rival, dealt with an ejection into space when a ship of hers had exploded, and even outran an energy wave from a star that had gone nova when her navigational computer had made a near-fatal miscalculation. But this, this was more than she could deal with. Her grip faltered slightly as her hand lost its strength.

It was then the white head in the brim of Zeiram's top raced out. That snapped Dalia out of her stupor long enough to bring the gun back up. She snapped off two shots, both missing the darting head, before it clamped its mouth on her neck and ripped her throat out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I still say we should have taken Killgore up on his offer and gotten a ride down with him," Yuri said as the wind from the open-air jeep whipped through her hair.

"No way! I'm not getting any nearer to that bastard than I have to, and I don't trust him enough for him not to try something if we're trapped on his shuttle! The Kreeper V is perfectly capable of atmospheric landings." Iria made a turn.

"And having two ships on the surface is better than one," Kei added from Yuri's side.

"You're just laid back about him cause you got a little action on the side," Yuri snapped testily.

Before Kei could reply, Iria punched the accelerator they hit the next turn, nearly causing the jeep to roll over. Kei and Yuri, sitting next to one another in the backseat, were squished together as the vehicle made the turn.

The road turned into a straightaway again and the jeep settled down for a smooth, fast, ride.

As they untangled themselves from each other, Kei whispered into Yuri's ear. "Perhaps it would be best if we didn't mention the little fact I slept with Mikael in Iria's presence. She's a bit testy about it."

"Right," Yuri said warily as she wondered how they had made it this far. Killgore had informed them that Terrakon 6 was the next place on Zeiram and Scorphius' hit list and was only a handful of days away. While he had been close-mouthed about what Zeiram was after in this planet, it was obvious from the women's perspective that YSC had figured out Scorphius was after something specific and this was the place to steal it.

Terrakon 6 was different from the other places Zeiram had hit. So far Scorphius had been careful to only attack YSC facilities in isolated spots that couldn't do much to defend themselves against attacks. While in the distant past Zeiram had threatened all of Myce, that had been only after several days of preparation in creating an army of Zeiranoids. Now he was traveling light, and the possibility of such a huge assault seemed slim with how little of a head start Scorphius had after the Station Zionacht fiasco. Terrakon 6 was fully inhabited, and the Holcomb Complex was in the middle of a megalopolis of twenty-five million people. The armed forces on the planet were large, and a number of military installations could send warcraft to the complex within a handful of minutes. Admittedly, it was unlikely they could bring their full force to bear in the middle of their own city, but they could take Zeiram down through sheer numbers if it came to that.

Of course, YSC, in its desperation to not let the public know someone with a personal ax to grind was using Zeiram to systematically eliminate everything they owned, had not bothered alerting the local authorities that Zeiram was coming, and instead was relying on the use of private troops, and mercenary specialists like Killgore, to take Zeiram out. She doubted the planetside authorities would be kept in the dark for long once the big green destruction machine showed up. Zeiram had a way of making his presence known wherever he went. Sort of like herself and Kei, once Yuri thought about it. That made her frown. They weren't like Zeiram. He went around intending to cause trouble. For Yuri and Kei, it was just something that seemed to happen once they arrived.

Since Kei had 'lost' the Lovely Angel's Bouncer, Killgore had offered to escort the women planetside in his personal shuttle, since his ship wasn't designed for atmospheric landings. Yuri was looking forward to the idea of cozying up to Killgore, especially with Kei out of the running since she had hooked up with her 'little brother' (Yuri was never going to let her live that one down). Unfortunately, Iria wouldn't hear of it, citing Killgore was more untrustworthy than ever since Yuri had discovered her mysterious inability to contact 3WA headquarters. Kei naturally sided with her former guardian, and Yuri couldn't really counter the argument, so she agreed to travel down to the planet in the Kreeper V, leaving Moogi and the battered Lovely Angel in orbit in case they needed backup.

The landing went smoothly, though Iria had insisted on renting a private jeep instead of using the vehicle the company had provided to escort them there. In Yuri's opinion, Iria was being a touch paranoid, but as long as she was paying for the rental, it was her business. Assuming the madwoman didn't crash them into a wall with the reckless way she was driving.

The city itself was uninteresting. It looked like any other megalopolis, jam-packed with people and buildings, where anything could be had if you knew which section of town to head toward. Currently they were in a shopping district. Yuri watched the large stores and their displays of wares, including some nice-looking clothing. Maybe if they took care of Zeiram quickly, she could do some shopping afterward before heading back and informing headquarters of everything that had happened.

Eventually they departed the shopping district and ended up in a manufacturing one. They traveled unerringly through the streets, heading to their destination thanks to the jeep's navigation system. They took the quickest route through the city, and in less than fifteen minutes, arrived at the entryway of the Holcomb Building.

Thanks to Iria's reign of terror through the streets, they had arrived before Killgore. Now they were forced to wait for him to catch up, since only he had permission, and the proper codes, to approach the facility.

His vehicle arrived within minutes and he and his men exited the truck, relaxed and calm. Yuri noted that he and the two dozen of the mercenaries he had brought along were already suited up, armed, and eager to go.

"Told you they'd beat us," Cross said to Killgore. The effeminate man held his hand out expectantly.

"Here you go." Killgore handed over a wad of bills, that Cross immediately tucked into a pocket. Killgore walked over to the women, casual despite the light armor he wore and the ninety pounds of heavy plasma cannon slung across his back. "You must have driven like a maniac to beat us here." He stared pointedly at Iria.

Kei defended her. "I felt more threatened by Zeiram than Iria's driving."

"Not by much," Yuri added, running a hand through her hair to make try to make herself presentable. While now wasn't the proper place to flirt with Killgore, there was never a time when it was acceptable to not look her best.

"Let's just get the hell inside," Iria snapped.

Killgore's companions remained behind him as he walked up to the towering guard post next to the main entrance to the facility. While there were live guards present, they remained behind the safety of the walls and observed everything through monitors that lined the exterior of the facility. Killgore walked up to a video monitor and stated his name and an eight alphanumeric code. A moment later, a panel slid back and several other scanning devices came into play. They pored over Killgore, who appeared bored by the entire procedure.

"Identity confirmed," came a voice from a speaker. The first set of gates opened up to admit the truck and jeep inside.

"Let Dane know I'm coming in," Killgore said, a hint of uncharacteristic irritation in his voice. He turned toward the truck, not wanting to walk the distance to the facility. Just as he was about to enter the back of the vehicle, a flashing light from high above caught his attention. "I wonder what that is."

Iria and the others stared upward. She dropped the goggles that rested on her head over her eyes and activated their telescopic feature.

"Uh oh," she said.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

In the central control room of the Holcomb Complex, one of the communications personnel relayed a message to his new superior. "The front gate says Killgore and his people have arrived, Sir."

"Great," Dane grumbled. That had broken the boredom the mercenary had been suffering from since arriving at the command center, and not in a good way. He supposed it had been an idle fantasy to expect the target to show up before Killgore did. Having the idiot arrive after Dane had bagged Zeiram would have been the ultimate victory. He would have bragged about pulling one out from under Killgore's nose from one end of the galaxy to the other, smearing his rival's name in the dirt. The possibility still existed, but it was trickier with Killgore present. Dane would just have to put more effort into outmaneuvering his rival, while nailing Zeiram at the same time.

At least by arriving first Dane had control of the facility, even if Killgore was technically an independent and didn't have to take direct orders from Dane. At least the oversized buffoon wasn't in charge of the situation this time. Dane could make Killgore stay out of the way once Zeiram showed up, and he was certain that time was coming soon. His hunter's instinct was telling him something big was coming, and it was rarely wrong. Maybe he'd get lucky, and Zeiram would knock off Killgore before Dane finished the monster himself and earned the hefty bonus for successful completion of the secondary objective as well. He handled the small cylinder at his waist. Oh yes, he was going to receive a large injection of cash above and beyond the standard contract fee before this mission was over.

Warning klaxons blared in the control room. One of the technicians manning the exterior sensors reported to Dane. "A ship is approaching us from orbit at a high speed."

"It's trying to land?" Dane asked.

"No sir, it's coming way too fast for that, and it's heading right for the center of the facility."

"We don't have anything that can take it out!" another technician warned.

Dane turned to Sancrest. "Impenetrable, huh?" He ducked under a console and waited for the inevitable.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Get down!" Iria cried as she grabbed Kei and Yuri and ducked behind the jeep, using its body for additional cover. There wasn't time to figure out the trajectory of the ship as it headed toward the planet. If the large cargo hauler hit near them, it was over anyway, but if it struck the center of the facility or the far side, they would have a chance.

Iria's hopes were realized as the breaking jets on the rectangular spaceship ignited, slowing its descent enough to, while not arrest its progress, prevent it from striking so hard nothing would be left but a huge crater. Instead the hauler landed straight as an arrow, bow-first in the middle of the complex. The ship's velocity caused it to easily shatter the building and destroyed a major portion of the interior as well as crumpling its own bow, squeezing it down almost like a giant accordion as the weight and inertia caused the front to buckle from the stress.

There were no explosions, nor did the vehicle tip over. It rested above the ruins of the center of the sprawling complex, like a compact tombstone dedicated to its own demise.

xxxxxxxxx

Dane poked his head from below the desk. He heard the impact, felt the building tremble, and saw the lights in the control room flicker once. Then there was nothing else. Surprised, but in a pleasant way, he poked his head up and surveyed the room.

Others were in similar positions, having abandoned their posts and taking shelter under their consoles in the hopes of surviving the impact. All that was save Stegrax, who hadn't moved the entire time. When it became obvious their impending destruction had been averted, an air of relief and cool professionalism took over the staff as they returned to their jobs.

The technician that had first observed the spacecraft heading toward them pieced together what had happened. "The craft's descent was slowed at the last minute. It still hit hard, but not enough to crack the reinforced bunkers on the lower levels or anything in the outer areas of the complex."

Another spoke up. "I'm getting responses from people in the outer areas and lower levels. Most of them seem okay. I'm getting nothing from the center of the complex, though."

A third said, "Destruction's near total there. Damn, my cousin was working in one of the chem labs there." He pounded his fist on the console he manned, then bit down on the fist in worry.

By that time, Dane had fully recovered and assessed the situation, coming to the only possible conclusion. "Boys and girls, Zeiram has landed and managed to not only penetrate our much vaunted defenses," he shot Sancrest a smirk, "but took out a major portion of the security forces here, as well as causing so much chaos that if I wasn't paying attention, he'd probably get out of this without anyone firing a shot at him."

"He couldn't possibly have survived the crash," Sancrest claimed, trying to regain some standing in the eyes of anyone present.

Dane shook his head. "He once survived atmospheric reentry without a spaceship. He can survive that little crash, especially since he slowed down at the end. He probably didn't want to take a chance of destroying the lower levels and ruining what he's come here for." Dane turned to the communication's technician. "Alert all security forces to gather into their units and patrol the facility in their pre-assigned routes until they locate Zeiram. He'll be hard to miss. He's big, green, has a head shaped like a giant mushroom, and will be trying to kill everything that comes into his line of sight."

"But sir, shouldn't we have people start with rescue efforts and try to help the injured first?" the man who had lost his cousin mentioned.

Dane waved dismissively at the man. "Alert the city emergency systems, if they haven't been already. Zeiram's continued presence here is more dangerous." And Dane wouldn't get paid for wasting time saving easily replaceable personnel anyway. Everyone in the entire complex could die, for all he cared. Only Zeiram mattered.

Whisper was at his side in an instant. "What about that message we received right before the ship dropped into our lap?"

"Oh, yes." Dane had forgotten that little detail. Now that he considered the matter, he realized that the chaos might be providing him with a unique opportunity. He gave an order to the communication technician. "Tell all security forces to assume anyone going about armed, that is not one of them or a member of my crew, is hostile and should be shot on sight. I'll take full responsibility." He shot the technician a warning glare.

The technician picked up on the hint. "Yes, sir." He sent out the order.

Dane turned to the rest of his partners and said with intentionally melodramatic flair, "Now it's time for us to go out into this brave world and see if we can't dispose of an annoying monster and some irritating rivals." He turned to go, shouting over his back to the staff, "Let me know if Zeiram's spotted or if there's trouble."

He waved good-bye to the room's occupants as he led the rest of his people deeper into the facility.

Xxxxxxxx

"That was no accident. It was Zeiram," Iria stated coldly as she rose from her position behind the jeep. It (and the giant wall surrounding the facility) had served as sufficient protection from the heat, wind, and debris kicked up by the crash. She hadn't suffered a scratch, nor had Kei or Yuri as they also returned to their feet.

Killgore and the other two dozen members of his staff exited the back of the truck and the protection its armored walls had provided, equally unharmed.

Some of the security personnel manning the front gate exited the guard post, watching in stunned disbelief at the crumpled ship as it stood up embedded in the facility, like an arrow driven into the body of an animal that had died instantly and fallen on the spot.

Killgore took charge of the matter as he grabbed the most senior security guard by his collar. "Get us in there."

That shook the man out of his stupor. He ran as fast as he could with the others, heading directly for the main doors. The covered the distance in under a minute, despite the burden of their gear.

The security head tried opening the door, but the lights of the scanner were dark. "There's no power to the doors. I can't get them open."

Killgore turned to two of his men. "Door opener."

Everyone in the unit, save two men he had spoken to, moved to the side of the wall along the doors. The two exceptions instead moved in front of the doors, then removed large blocks of some rectangular substance from their packs. They peeled off a strip of paper from the back of the items, and stuck them to the doors, where the rectangles affixed themselves. They placed small pieces of metal, with a digital readout on the top, onto the items. The men pushed a few buttons, and several lights activated.

Seeing the reactions from the rest of Killgore's crew, and recognizing the items as fusion blocks, Iria and the Lovely Angels moved alongside the wall as well.

Within moments the two people that had set up the explosives joined the others. They pulled out remote detonators and set off the charges. There was the sound of a small explosion, then nothing.

Everyone stepped away from the wall and saw that the barrier of metal now had two holes large enough for two people to walk abreast through. Point men from Killgore's team entered first, guns at the ready. After determining the entryway was as deserted as it appeared, they signaled the rest of the team to follow.

Once everyone (save the security guard who had chosen to rejoin his men and wait for new orders) had set up in the entryway, Killgore began to issue instructions.

"It looks like the long bout with boredom we feared was waiting for us was all for naught, boys and girls," he quipped. "Zeiram's crawling around somewhere in this pit, and I want him dealt with once and for all. We're going to separate into teams of four and prowl around until Zeiram is located. Once you find him you will not confront him. Instead you will alert the other teams and then track his movements until we set up an ambush point to waste him. I don't want any heroics, so don't think you can take him out yourselves and get killed. Got it?"

There was a collection of affirmatives and head nodding.

"Good. I'm in charge of Team One. Cross is head of Team Two. Cha-where are you going?" he asked Iria as she grabbed Kei and Yuri by the arms and made to leave.

"To kill Zeiram, so don't get in the way," she said.

"It'd be safer for us to take him on with everyone around," Killgore pointed out.

"It's safer not to rely on you or your scumbag partners," she said icily.

The proclamation met with a host of angry glares from the men.

Yuri tried to placate any hard feelings, especially since she'd rather not have the men try to shoot her in the back for being offended. "What she means is, you guys are used to working as a team, and we'd just get in the way. Besides, we work better on our own. I'll give you a ring if I spot Zeiram," she assured them as she turned to catch up to her partner and the outer rim bounty hunter.

Once they were out of earshot, Cross said, "You know, she's right about them being in the way."

"Just find Zeiram. I'll take care of them later, when the time comes," Killgore assured him.

The team separated into groups of four and began a search of the building.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Have you ever considered a career as a diplomat?" Yuri inquired of Iria's back, since the bounty hunter had all but run down the corridors since leaving the entryway behind, not giving Yuri a chance to catch up.

"I'd be great at it, since everyone would know that whatever comes from my mouth must be the whole and honest truth," Iria said, though the retort lacked any vigor. Her attention was solely for what lay in front of them.

"All I'm saying is our lives might depend on one of Killgore's men at some point, and it would be a major pain if they decide not to do anything since they'd be happy if we were dead."

"It's already coming," Iria assured her. "Keep your eyes open for it."

"Whatever." Yuri officially gave up. With any luck, they'd finally kill Zeiram and put all of events from the last week behind them. This was possibly the worst chase in her life, largely because she didn't feel like she was gaining on her foe. If anything, the gap between them was widening. Not only had they not slowed Zeiram down, but it appeared he (or more specifically, Anton Scorphius) was accomplishing everything he wanted to, and running up a body count impressive even by Yuri's standards in the process. It had to come to an end soon, one way or another.

Her ponderings were interrupted as they came to a four-way junction and spotted a pair of security guards that had turned the corner at the end of the hallway in front of them. They appeared tense with their rifles firmly in their grip. Yuri decided to take charge, before Iria did something to set them off. She put her best smile on, thrust her chest out slightly, and waved. "Hey guys, how are you doing? We're trying to find Zeiram. I don't suppose you've seen him."

The men stared at each other. Then their reflexes kicked in as they said, "Intruders!" and leveled their guns at the trio of women.

Yuri was caught off guard. "No, we were let in by-"

Kei tackled Yuri out of the way as a laser nearly parted her hair. They ducked behind one of corners of the junction, while Iria went for the other.

"Have you ever considered a career as a diplomat?" Iria said as several other bolts streaked down the corridor they had just been walking down.

"All I said was 'Hi'," Yuri snarled as she drew her pistol.

"It's not that big a deal. We're used to complete strangers shooting at us," Kei said.

"Usually it's preceded by, 'Look! It's the Dirty Pair!' though. These guys had no idea who we were. They just decided to shoot first and not bother with the whole questions part." Making certain she was still under cover, Yuri shouted to the men, "Hey, we're on your side! We were hired to help you in case the place was attacked, which it has been."

One of the guards shouted back. "Like we'd fall for that! You're part of the bad guys, just like we were told!" Several more shots were fired in Yuri's direction.

"Looks like we're really on our own." Iria pulled a small disc, shaped like a hockey puck, from one of her pouches. "Close your eyes and cover your ears," she warned, as she once again slipped her goggles over her eyes and pulled the sides down to cover her ears.

Yuri and Kei had to satisfy themselves with closing their eyes and covering their ears with their hands.

Iria poked her hand far enough around the corner to slide the disc along the floor. When it hit the far wall next to the men, it went off. Even with her protective gear, the flash and noise was powerful enough to make her eyes water and ears pop.

The bounty hunter poked her head around the corner, pistol at the ready. Both men lay on the floor. One was unconscious from the stun bomb, while a low moan issued from the other, who was curled up in a fetal position on the floor.

Iria pulled out a small tube from her belt and pressed it against the back of the man's neck. She hit the plunger and a small white pad stuck itself to his neck. Within seconds he went limp.

As she did the same thing to the second man, Kei and Yuri, who had judged whatever it was Iria had done was over, approached.

"What are you doing?" Kei asked.

"Administering a sedative that will keep them out for the next ten hours. I'm not taking any chances on them recovering and attacking us from behind, and it's more humane than shooting them."

"What kind of sedative?" Kei asked.

"Obifrol-108."

Kei grimaced. "I got hit with that once. It leaves you with a hangover to remember."

"I did say 'humane' not 'pleasant.' It's the least they deserve for shooting at me."

"And from what he said, I have a feeling the rest of the guards will be trying to treat us the same way." Yuri sighed in resignation. "Great, instead of having a small army helping us hunt Zeiram, we have a small army trying to hunt us and Zeiram. It's never the easy way, is it?"

Kei and Iria merely nodded their heads sadly.

Iria's communicator beeped. "Yes?"

"Problem, Sunshine," came Killgore's voice. "Someone seems to have told the security forces here that any intruders, meaning us, are to be considered hostile and shot on sight."

"We've already encountered that little problem." Iria nudged one of the unconscious men with her boot.

"It's all that bastard, Dane's fault. He knew we were coming, and decided to try to take out a little competition using these guys in the confusion. He'd better pray Zeiram finds him before I do. He'll only get devoured and turned into a Zeirenoid. What I'll do to him will be much, much worse."

"I see," Iria said. "Well, marrying him seems a bit extreme, but I have to agree, it'd be worse than running into Zeiram." She turned off the communicator before he could respond.

"That has got to be one of the nastiest divorces ever," Yuri whispered to her partner. Kei could only nod in response.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nearly fifteen minutes of searching turned up nothing on the women's part, nor was there further communication from any of Killgore's teams. With each passing minute, Iria, who insisted on remaining in the lead, became increasingly restless. It became worse when their progress slowed as they neared the areas where the spacecraft had hit. The damage to the building was evident as cracks had formed in the floor, ceiling, walls, and in some cases had caused collapses filled with debris. Emergency lighting was the only form of illumination, bathing everything in an eerie crimson glow.

Iria stopped at a junction and signaled the others to do the same. "This is bad. We have to find him quickly before he escapes again. He could slip out of any hole and we'd never know he was gone."

"What do you recommend?" Kei asked.

"Splitting up. It'll increase our chances of finding him."

"That'll be dangerous. And what about the other guards around here?" Yuri pointed out.

"I haven't seen any in a while. I'd bet they're sticking mostly to the outer areas for now. If any get in our way, we'll take care of them."

"What about Zeiram?" Kei asked.

"If you find him just track him. Don't try to handle him on your own. Lance was right about one thing; he is too powerful to take on alone."

Kei and Yuri nodded their heads in agreement and stayed together as they chose to go to the left, while Iria went in the opposite direction.

The bounty hunter slipped her goggles back on and used their light amplification system to see the room as though it was brightly lit. Now that Kei and Yuri were gone, she moved more quickly, almost recklessly, through the increasingly damaged sections of the facility. Zeiram was here. She could feel it, like the tingling sensation across the skin as lightning was about to strike. This time there would be no escape for the demon that had haunted her for so long.

She paused in a hallway. There was a sound that had caught the edge of her hearing. It was a loud thud that echoed in one of the corridors from up ahead. She paused, listening intently. There was another thud, and another. They could only be sounds belonging to something monstrously heavy walking toward her location. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that monstrous thing was.

Moving forward, Iria positioned herself so that she could ambush Zeiram, her instruction to Kei forgotten. She thumbed the selector switch on her rifle to rocket launcher, and attached one to the barrel. The slender attachment was an armor piercer, designed for penetration rather than explosive power. Blowback wouldn't be a problem unless she fired it at point blank range. She crouched several meters away from the edge of the passageway that Zeiram was coming down. The instant he was in the open, she'd fire.

The thuds grew louder, then, curiously, grew softer. Iria listened intently, and realized the tread was now moving away from her. Panicking, she raced up to the edge of the corridor and peered around it. There was another passageway just a handful of meters away, leading in a different direction. Obviously Zeiram had taken that one, and was increasing his pace from the sounds of it.

Iria raced to the start of the corridor, intent on getting a shot at Zeiram before he noticed her. As the length of passageway entered her sight and she was able to look down it, she saw the hulking figure not more than ten meters away. She lifted her rifle and sighted it on the center of the creature's back when she stopped. While the thing was certainly as wide as Zeiram, and nearly as tall, it was clearly not the monster she had been seeking. Instead he was made entirely of silvery metal, had a double row of armored triangular plates that rose from his back, and had a tail with spikes protruding from it.

Iria lowered her rifle in confusion.

Stegrax's head swiveled a hundred and eighty degrees. Iria found red faceted eyes and a pointed snout filled with sharp teeth aimed in her direction. From the mechanoid's shoulders, two small laser mounts poked up from their concealment and also swiveled in her direction.

Reflexes took over as Iria dove for cover. Twin lines of pencil thin energy lanced out from the small shoulder weapons. They crisscrossed with one another as they tried to track Iria, their light leaving a smoking black line across everything they touched. One of the ruby beams nicked the edge of Iria's shin guard, leaving dark scoring on it but failing to penetrate the white armor. Then she was out of sight at the edge of the corridor.

She leaned flat against the wall and assessed the situation. Cyborg or robot, and not one that belonged here. No security force would commission such a thing for a facility like this. A private owner with a flare for flamboyance might indulge himself in such a way, but not a megacorporation like YSC. Either he was also working for Scorphius, or he was one of those other mercenaries Killgore had been complaining about. Iria leaned toward the latter. A mercenary would think something as ridiculous looking as a robotic dinosaur was intimidating.

Iria was about to spin around the corner and use her armor piercing rocket on her new foe when she heard a loud click come from the direction of the cyborg. Instinctively she backed away as fast as she could.

A moment later, large wads of energy cleaved through the metal of the wall right where she had been standing, as though it wasn't there. A second slower and even her armor would have been equally useless as those powerful blasts would have melted her insides faster than she could blink.

Iria backed away more quickly, reevaluating her foe. Whoever he was, his weaponry far outstripped hers. She had to get the first shot in and prayed it crippled him. She backed away to her original ambush point, poking a small mirror, no more than a handful of centimeters wide, around the corner to give her a view down it. The moment the cyborg fully popped out, she would nail him with the rocket.

The wait wasn't long as Stegrax showed his overconfidence in assuming he had hit Iria with his second salvo. He appeared, turning to look at where he had fired, in obvious expectation of finding a body. Iria noted that popped out from his sides were what appeared to be cylinders from a gigantic revolver. A pair of 'Revolver Cannons' if she identified them correctly. Those would have been powerful enough to punch through a wall like that, and in something his size, they would probably have a decent rate of fire, coming from both of his sides.

It didn't matter. They'd be scrap, just like the rest of him. Mentally marking his position, she withdrew the mirror, then spun and fired.

Stegrax saw the movement and reacted. As the rocket erupted from the front of the bounty hunter's rifle, the cyborg pointed his maw at her and opened it. The rocket had covered half the distance when he let out a roar. A solid wave of sonic energy erupted from his mouth, knocking the rocket off course and sending it to careen into a nearby wall where it detonated, throwing shards of metal in every direction. A normal person would have been cut severely and knocked off their feet by the force of the explosion. Stegrax merely stood there, ignoring the rain of metal as it was merely water.

The wave of sonic force rolled down the hallway undisturbed, slamming into Iria and sending her flying backward. She went limp as she struck the wall behind her with near bonebreaking force. She had barely touched the ground when she was rolling backward. The reflexive move was just in time as another salvo of large energy blasts melted the floor where she had been lying a moment ago.

Gasping for air, Iria staggered backward in retreat, unwilling to turn her back on the cyborg. She thumbed the selector switch back to laser mode as she tried increasing her speed, a difficult feat given her lack of oxygen.

Stegrax turned the corner, let out a bellow of triumph, and fired his revolver cannon again. The blasts streamed out, one per cylinder, spitting out synchronized death and destruction.

Despite her winded state, Iria returned fire. It was a combination of luck and skill as one of the shots went up the launch tube of the left revolver cannon, blowing out the breech and shutting the weapon down. Stegrax then learned one of the drawbacks to having the cannons fire in synchronicity: when one shut down, so did the other.

More shots struck the cyborg, but his armor was thick enough to ward them off. Instead, even as the revolver cannons retracted back into their housing, he raised his right hand and pointed it at Iria.

Iria continued to pour on the fire, hoping to hit another vulnerable point. Sparing some attention to the hand, she was surprised to see it suddenly fall from its housing on the arm, considering she hadn't hit it. The hand only remained attached by a small strip of metal at the bottom.

Then the bounty hunter realized that the hand had not fallen off, but rather had served as camouflage for the barrel of a weapon that had been concealed behind it. The one pointing directly at her. Despite her winded state, Iria dove out of the way even as the missile left its housing.

It was the third near miss in almost as many seconds as the missile almost hit her. Already airborne, the explosion propelled her much farther than her dive would have taken her. Luckily, the only major pieces of shrapnel to hit her were deflected by her armor, though a number of smaller pieces cut into the unprotected areas of her body.

She was hurled against a wall at the far end of the corridor, though since she was already out of breath, the impact did nothing to worsen her condition. Her rifle had been blown out of her hands and was out of reach. Going back for it was out of the question, since she would have to place herself directly in Stegrax's line of fire. Instead she abandoned the weapon and tried running, though her pace was slow with how badly her body ached from being hurled into metal walls like a giant racquetball.

Iria almost made it out of Stegrax's line of sight when a trio of guards appeared in front of her. All of them were tensed for combat, obviously from overhearing the sounds of the running battle between the bounty hunter and her opponent.

"It's an intruder! Kill her!" one of the men shouted.

Three rifles were aimed at her unprotected head. Standing no more than a handful of feet from her, there was no way all of them would miss. It was unlikely any of them would. Iria winced. This was one of the most stupid ways to go. Taken out by a toaster version of Zeiram and a handful of rent-a-cops that barely knew which way to point a gun.

Before any of the security personnel could fire, their chests erupted into fountains of bloody gore as flechette rounds fired from behind Iria tore them to shreds. Sensing she too was in the line of fire, she dove for yet another corner. It was the only thing that prevented her from becoming a pile of shattered bone and shredded muscle like the trio of men now behind her. As she dove, she caught a glimpse of Stegrax holding his other arm up and the flechettes coming from the palm of the left hand. She had no idea why he had saved her, but she had a feeling it wasn't to apologize for his rude treatment of her from before.

Running was proving itself untenable. Iria knew her only hope was to gain some space between her and her opponent and try to set up an ambush. She had an ideal weapon to work on something made of metal, but hitting him with it would be tricky. She needed to set up a trap. Much to her dismay, she saw that further up the passageway that she had blindly darted into, the ceiling had collapsed, effectively cutting off any avenue of escape. The side the men had come up was clear, but that would mean cutting across the other passageway and entering the cyborg's line of fire, which was almost certain death.

Looking back up the corridor she was in, Iria noticed there were a couple of rooms, one to the right and one to the left. The door on the right was wide open, caught in that position by the power failure. She ran up to it and looked inside. It was some sort of small theater. Whatever purpose it held in such a place was beyond her. She inventoried the contents of the room. Holographic projection equipment located near the front. Lots of chairs. A water cooler off to the side.

Water cooler. It was stand-alone design that needed no power, and had in fact been in service in industrial buildings for centuries since its basic design was inexpensive and had never been improved upon. An idea formed. She could definitely make use of that. But first she needed the door closed. Luckily there was a manual override next to the door. She opened the emergency compartment and spun the wheel, shutting the door and setting the locking mechanism into place. Not that she seriously thought it would stop the cyborg, but it might be enough to buy her the time and privacy she needed.

Running like death itself was on her tail, Iria pulled out two steel vials she had in separate pouches. Combined, they composed a weapon she thought might be effective against Zeiram, but it had other uses as well. She examined the water cooler. As she hoped, it loaded from the top. She pried off the gasket that sealed it and poured the contents of the binary solution into the water. It would dilute the effect somewhat, but should still do what was needed. She placed a small shaped charge and transmitter on the side of it. The work was quick, but it would have to suffice. Not that she was placing all of her trust in that. She had planned a more direct approach. The ceiling was slightly taller than the door, which would give her a perfect ambush point.

Iria heard the loud tread of Stegrax through the walls, drawing nearer. Obviously he had divined exactly where she had hidden herself. She had to move fast. She attached several magnetic strips to her palms and bottom of her boots, then used a rappel line to draw her up to the ceiling, where she attached herself to it like a giant spider. It was a gamble. If he looked up she would be a stationary target with no means of cover or escape, but she had to take a chance on outsmarting her foe since overpowering him was out of the question.

The loud thudding stopped. She wondered how he'd enter the room. Ripping the door off its tracks was the easiest way, and he'd be able to use it for cover in case she was waiting to shoot him. Luckily, it would only shield him from frontal assaults, not ones from above.

There was a peculiar whooshing sound from out in the hall. Iria's musings as to its origin were cut short as, from about a meter to the left of the door, Stegrax's tail lashed out, cutting through the metal of the wall, the door, and the wall on the other side, leaving a long wide tear behind. The tail retreated out of sight. It was followed up by twin thin laser beams that crisscrossed each other in the firing port created by the tail, slicing effortlessly through the chairs like a surgeon's scalpel through flesh. Iria suddenly felt a lot better. She had considered waiting in front of the door and shooting through it when the cyborg appeared. Had she done so, she'd have been sliced in half, just liked the furnishings. The water cooler, luckily, was out of sight along the side, and remained untouched by the lasers.

The beams stopped and the sound of crumpling metal came from below Iria. The remnants of the door were hurled into the room at a high velocity, creating even more damage. Sweat beaded Iria's brow as the cyborg refused to appear. Then she heard his heavy tread as he began walking forward.

As she hoped, Stegrax's eyes scanned the room in a left to right manner, not looking up just yet. Perfect. She dropped down on him, mindful to keep from impaling herself on the upraised triangular plates that lined his back. She wrapped an arm around his neck and attached a small packet to his shoulder.

Before she could do anything else, the tail curled upward, swatting her aside like a bothersome fly. She was hurled across the room, this time hitting her head. The world spun around shakily from the effects of the concussion. It was only instinct that made her press the remote on her belt.

The explosive attached to Stegrax's shoulder detonated with a loud boom. At point blank range, it destroyed all of the plating and much of the wiring in the right arm, rendering it immobile, as well as knocking out a number of his other systems.

He was still reeling when Iria kicked over the water cooler, knocking it on its side and releasing the tnak filled with the water from the top. She shoved it with her foot toward Stegrax, the water sloshing about as it rolled toward him.

Stegrax's targeting computer informed him the container represented no threat, so he ignored it while bringing up his flechette hand and aiming it in Iria's direction.

Before he could fire, she activated the second explosive while simultaneously diving behind one of the few intact seats. The liquid vessel burst open, spraying the contents about the room, including all over Stegrax. He reevaluated the threat, wondering why the container had exploded for no apparent reason. Then he saw what the droplets were doing to his metal exterior as they slowly ate it away.

Acid! It was a cyborg's worst enemy. While Stegrax had an acid-resistance coating applied to him several months ago, he had been through a lot of action, and it barely held back any of the metal eating properties of the substance. The acid would have been worse, had it not been diluted by the water in the cooler, but there was far more of it all over his body. Already pock marks formed on his exterior and ate through the exposed wiring from the earlier explosion.

Stunned by the unexpected reversal, Stegrax left himself open as a rocket struck him in the stomach, blowing open more of his armor and revealing more of his internal mechanisms. Luckily it was a lighter explosive, pistol sized rather than one created for a larger rifle. Even with his armor weakened by the acid, it held up well, only causing another half dozen systems to crash. He roared once, unleashing another sonic blast in Iria's general direction, then retreated as fast as he could before she finished him off.

The sonic wave struck Iria, who was fully exposed to the blast since she had just finished firing and her reflexes, dulled from the abuse she had received, were too slow. She was hurled into the metal backing of the seat behind her. The pain from having been tossed around and rammed into things multiple times, combined with her concussion, was too much for her to take. It overwhelmed her, and she let out one faint curse before passing out.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Stegrax had not paused in his flight for even a second, which was why he was unaware that he had essentially won the fight against the woman who had blown apart half of his systems. All he cared about was fleeing to somewhere safe, where he'd sit out the rest of the fight. The most likely place to ensure his survival would be the command center. It was a reinforced bunker with plenty of men left behind to guard it as they monitored the situation as best as they could. Stegrax's internal communications were still working, so he informed them that he would be arriving in a short while and to be on the lookout.

With the schematics of the facility in his computer, Stegrax calculated the quickest route to the command center. It would take him near the heart of the impact, but he was in a hurry, and his speed had been hampered seriously in the fight. Even his tail no longer responded to his commands and dragged behind him limply across the floor. He ran a diagnostic program on himself to determine the extent of the damage while he ran for safety. Far too many of his systems were down. He was vulnerable in a way that he hadn't been since he was made of only flesh and blood.

Stegrax came to a door and forced it open with his one good arm. Cutting through one of the larger labs would save him five minutes of moving through possibly hostile corridors. As he entered the room, he stumbled upon another occupant already inside, hunched over a metal barrel. The sound of the door being forced open alerted the occupant to the intruder.

Zeiram turned around.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hmm. A distinct lack of dead bodies here," Kei muttered mostly to herself.

"Except those we found crushed by falling sections of the building," Yuri reminded her.

"Well, yeah. I meant shot up or ripped apart corpses. The type Zeiram always leaves behind wherever he goes. Not that crushed people don't count. I meant we can't tell which way he went if he doesn't leave us a bunch of dead bodies to follow," Kei clarified.

"Right." In a moment of epiphany, Yuri wondered when they had become so casual about people being dead around them. She supposed others would feel sick or disgusted at the idea of a casual conversation about what sort of dead people they were looking for. She supposed it was a type of defense mechanism, though even in her days as a rookie, she couldn't remember feeling too broken up about people dying around her. That she wasn't responsible for their deaths helped, and she felt bad on an intellectual level about it, but that was all. Kei was the same way. The lack of emotional response didn't even bother her. It was just something she noted.

Yuri's musings were interrupted as she and Kei entered a large empty room the size of a gymnasium. At first glance, it appeared to be some sort of testing area. They had only taken a handful of steps when a door located on the opposite side of the area opened and two other people entered.

The men were the exact opposite of one another. One was black and so large his arms were the size of Kei and Yuri's legs. What appeared to be twin sledgehammers were strapped across his back. His comrade, while the same size, was the opposite in coloring. He was so pale that he had to be an albino, and for some bizarre reason the top two inches of his skull seemed to be missing. Strapped to his back was a large power pack of unknown design. It was confusing, since he didn't appear to have any weapons on his person to hook up to the pack. Both wore bulky exo-frames, that would afford them some protection from physical harm, as well as augmenting their strength.

Since she and Kei didn't recognize the pair, Yuri felt it safe to assume they were also operating on the 'shoot all intruders' order given to the security personnel. While it was obvious they weren't rank and file rent-a-cops, both radiated an aura of danger despite their lack of a weapon more sophisticated than a sledgehammer between them.

Yuri and Kei aimed their pistols at the pair. The men responded by looking the women over more closely.

The black one said, "I'd guess by their uniforms these are the 3WA agents our contact wanted dead."

"Unless there are another pair of agents around here," the albino concurred.

"I kind of doubt that. Ah well, won't be the first time we've wasted the 3WA's lackeys."

Kei and Yuri looked at each other, scowling. "Whitey," Kei said.

That left Yuri with the darker of the pair. They aimed at their targets and fired.

The albino raised his hand, and a large distortion in the air, rectangular in shape, appeared directly in front of the men. The air shimmered, like the effect produced by black asphalt on a sunny summer day. The shots hit the distortion and dissipated, as though they had impacted against a solid surface that had the durability of a tank. Unperturbed, Yuri and Kei poured continuous fire into the distortion, but the men behind it merely stared in amusement.

Seeing their shots had no effect, the Dirty Pair paused as they considered what to do next. However, they weren't given any time to think as the darker of the pair pulled out his sledgehammers, wielding them in his grasp as if they were weightless Styrofoam props. As he advanced, so did the shimmering barrier, keeping one step ahead of him. Again the women fired, this time only at the foe approaching them, and again not a single shot breached the mysterious distortion.

It seemed to Yuri that the darker of the pair was heading toward Kei at an angle as he moved forward, staying to her left and keeping himself from being caught between the women. Yuri's finger jerked quickly on her trigger, firing at his arms and legs, hoping to find a weak point in the wall. Kei did the opposite, shooting at the exact same spot repeatedly as she tried to hammer through it with brute force.

The man was no more than a couple of meters in front of Kei when he stopped moving forward and instead raised the sledgehammers into the air, the heads of each now surrounded by a glowing golden aura, demonstrating they were not normal construction tools. Kei backed away while Yuri, who was well out of reach, continued firing ineffectually.

The man brought the hammers down at the same time. Surprisingly, the target was not Kei, but rather the floor. While the shimmering wall might have stopped lasers, it didn't prevent the shockwave produced by the impact from being transmitted through the floor. Kei was knocked onto her backside, while Yuri was staggered and her gun slipped from her grasp as she was forced to pinwheel her arms and try to balance herself.

Suddenly the shimmering was gone. The darker man, who had kept his balance the entire time brought his hammers back up, heads glowing again, and aimed right at Kei. She rolled out of the way of the hammer aimed at her body, but the second one crashed down on her gun, smashing it into a bent piece of metal and nearly doing the same to her hand, which she narrowly snatched out of the way in time.

Yuri bent down and recovered her own laser pistol. Years of training enabled her to aim unerringly even as she brought it up, sighting in the attacker's head. Just as she fired, the shimmering appeared right in front of her, stopping the laser only centimeters after it left the barrel.

"Why don't we let those two duke it out for a while?" the albino called out from his position at the far side of the room.

Yuri turned to look at him and realized something. The shimmering wasn't wrapped around her. It remained a large rectangle interposed between herself and Kei, stopping her in one direction and no other. She switched targets and aimed at the albino.

The wall moved as fast as thought, now between her and her target. She fired a trio of times, finding her luck the same as before.

"How are you doing it?" she asked, hoping against hope he was stupid enough to tell her. He seemed the bragging type. Sort of like Kei, when Yuri thought of it.

He pointed at his head. "Telekinesis. Oh, they had to operate on my brain a bit in order to refine it and increase it by several levels of magnitude, but I didn't really need the parts they removed. My telekinetic walls are immovable objects. That's how I earned my nickname, 'The Anvil'. They call my brother Harrison, 'Hammer', for less subtle reasons." He pointed in the direction of the other man.

Yuri turned to see that since Kei had been rendered weaponless, 'Hammer' was trying his best to flatten her with his namesake. Every time the glowing weapons struck the floor or walls, the metal crumpled underneath the force. Even a glancing blow would be enough to finish off Yuri's partner.

Not that Kei was content to play the role of helpless target. Several times she used her nimble form to lash out with fist or foot, but the exo-frame easily absorbed the attacks, not even causing Hammer flinch. Despite the man's tremendous size and the weight of his weapons, his exo-frame made every swing as powerful as the one before, while Kei was slowing down ever so slightly. It was only a matter of time before Kei grew tired and was flattened into a bloody mess. Then it would be Yuri's turn.

Yuri tested the Anvil's boast and aimed at Hammer and then back at the telekinetic. In each case he tracked her movements and placed the wall between her and her targets. Yuri had enough familiarity with the power of the mind from the Nolandia affair to know this was trouble. Still, if this Anvil guy needed such drastic measures as removing sections of his brain to increase his telekinesis, his power had to be limited. She decided to test the waters. "You can't keep this up forever. Sooner or later your brain will get tired and I'll nail you and your partner." She shot once into the wall for emphasis.

The Anvil smirked. "You'll run out of ammo long before I run out of power, thanks to this." He threw a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the pack on his back.

So now Yuri had a tertiary target. She calmed herself. There was something about the wall that was bothering her. Obviously his control over telekinesis was limited, or he would have ripped their guns out of their hands or crushed their heads with his mind or some similar feat of power. It appeared he relied on the wall structure for protection. An impressive defense, while his hammer wielding brother provided the offense, but it had limitations as well.

Yuri carefully examined the telekinetic wall. Ten meters long and about eight high, nearly reaching to the ceiling of the room. It was mobile, but inflexible, or else he'd throw her in a cocoon instead of moving the wall in front of her gun. Running toward him while firing at his brother might work, but the Anvil would see her coming, and probably angle the wall to drive her back while keeping her from hitting anything. What she really needed was two guns so she could divide her targets. Or something that could reach around corners.

It was then Yuri knew what to do. She bent down, firing at the Anvil the entire time, as she removed her 'Bloody Card' from her boot. Keeping it hidden from sight behind her back, she opened up with a laser volley in the Anvil's direction, one bright enough to make him blink.

He did so, and she flung the card with a snap of the wrist in a direction parallel to the wall. As she hoped, its gyroscopes and her skill allowed it to arc around the telekinetic structure and all the way to the far wall of the room before sailing across and heading toward its target.

"You're wasting your time, girl," the Anvil bragged once her laser storm was over. Then he paused. For all his bluster, he was a professional, and the girl was waiting for something to happen. Something good, judging by her smile. Good for her would be bad for him. Now that he thought about it, she might have thrown something out from behind her back at the height of her volley.

The Anvil sensed more than heard the Bloody Card cutting through the air. He tucked and rolled into a ball while concentrating on maintaining his shield. If she fired at his brother while he was distracted, it could be bad. He just hoped her attention remained focused on him during her attack.

The Anvil came out of his roll and on his feet. There was a slightly perturbed look on Yuri's features. Good, he had circumvented whatever it was she had planned. "Nice try girl, whatever it was, but you fail..." his boast died on his lips as she was now displaying a wide smile for him. He couldn't figure out why until the smell of ozone and the sound of sparks reached his senses. Both were coming from behind him.

"Oh, shit! Harrison!" he cried out, even as the damage to the powerpack caused it to explode. It was not Artus 'The Anvil' Winston's lucky day. The card, while missing the original target that was his neck, had struck one of the few vital points on his power unit: the connection wire between the pack and the terminal port in his neck. The feedback caused the pack to overload rather than shut down. Had the latter happened, Artus could have summoned enough strength to maintain his telekinetic wall until he and his brother retreated. With the force of the contained, but impressive explosion, it blew through the protection of his exo-frame and sent over a hundred pieces of metal and plastic debris through his back and out the front of his chest.

Harrison 'Hammer' Winston had just tripped Kei and knocked her prone on the floor. There would be no escape from her in that position. His twin hammers were raised high above his head when he heard the explosion come from across the room and turned just in time to see his brother's dead body slump to the floor.

"Artus!" he cried out. That was his last word as a shot from Yuri's pistol went through the faceplate of his exo-frame, killing him instantly. The sledgehammers, no longer supported, slipped from his hands and fell right on top him, driving the upper part of exo-frame into his corpse and his body into the ground.

"Blech!" Kei commented as she rose to her feet and backed away from the grisly remains.

"Gruesome," Yuri agreed.

"I was more worried about getting his blood on me," Kei clarified. She looked over to the dead body across the room. "Unusual foes."

"Yeah, they gave you a hard time for a minute." Yuri shot her partner a mischievous look.

Kei appeared offended. "Me? Au contraire. I was distracting the big guy, since I knew he'd squash you flat inside thirty seconds. I knew you'd figure out how to get around that force field thing before he'd come close to me."

"Yeah, right," Yuri said drolly as the pair exited the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The assassin known as Cross, who would insist that not only was he not a Samidat, but that such a cabal did not exist, lead the three members of his team through one of the numerous labs in the facility, trying to locate Zeiram. As they passed through, Cross noted some of the substances in the numerous containers that were marked with numbers rather than the names of their actual contents. Most would have expressed surprise to discover that he recognized what the unmarked contents were and what uses they had. Cross had the equivalent of a high level degree in over four sciences, and had he chosen so, could have earned a seven figure salary with any megacorporation, including YSC or the Tormand Confederation. Not that he had any intention of doing such. It was just that he grew bored easily, and there was such a thing as overtraining. So he studied science on the side as a hobby, and it turned out he had an aptitude for it, similar to his ability to kill people.

As Cross noted the containers, and the only things that they could be used for in conjunction with one another, he made a mental note that YSC was up to some very interesting things besides the item that Zeiram was after. It was nice to know Killgore trusted him enough to inform him of what Scorphius was after here. It was a pity they hadn't the time to find out where it was located at the facility, so he could head directly to it and dispatch Zeiram himself. He was certain he could do it. The monster could feel pain and bleed. Anything that did those two things could die. If there was a way to kill it, Cross would find that way.

The assassin suddenly stopped in the middle of the room, as though he was frozen in place.

One of the women behind him asked, "What is it?" and began pointing her gun warily in many directions.

"Cross senses something," one of the others provided, and did the same as the woman.

After a moment, Cross said, "I really must give you my apologies. It appears we're dealing with a true professional." And dove to the floor just as several small objects came into the room through a wall. The blurs headed toward the three remaining people and where Cross had been a moment ago. The ionic shurikens, which had passed through two inches of metal as though they weren't there, sliced through vital points of each of the three still standing people, killing them instantly.

Cross was in motion. Whoever it was had something that enabled them to see through walls, probably a heat sensor. Having noted where some of the more volatile chemicals were located, he shot them, causing a small fire to erupt in the lab. He interposed the flames between himself and the holes left behind from the paths the shurikens had taken.

Much to his annoyance, a half dozen others were thrown from a different point in the wall, heading toward the small conflagration. While the attacker couldn't tell precisely where he was, they would have a good idea and were willing to take a chance that a flurry of the weapons might get lucky and hit him.

Cross dove in the direction of more chemicals, shooting at them and causing another explosion. This time one of the shurikens clipping his leg, biting deep enough to make him bleed profusely and severely limit his mobility. Yes, whoever it was stalking him was damn good. He was disgusted to note that a part of him was thrilled with someone so worthy trying to kill him. He was a professional, and only killed for business, not pleasure. No true professional wanted a difficult target. Easy ones were always the best. But Cross found himself so rarely challenged that there was something exhilarating about knowing how close to death he was.

Cross shot up several other chemicals, causing fires throughout the lab. Soon the blaze would claim the whole room, and him with it. He had to end the fight fast.

Even as he placed a rebreather on his face, to keep the smoke from getting to him, he noted that the shurikens probably weren't coated in poison, since they had to pass through walls and any such substance would be lost when it cut through the metal. Ionic shurikens were an interesting choice of weapon. Using them required a high level of training, and the number one could carry was limited. On the other hand, they were silent, had no tell tale power signature until they were activated, and didn't necessarily have to come from a straight path. Though from the way they had been clustered in both attacks, Cross assumed each wave was coming at him in a direct line. He doubted there was enough room on the other side of the wall for them to arc and hide the origin point. That meant he had already circumvented one of his opponent's advantages by forcing them to make mass attacks from one point instead of single attacks from anywhere.

Cross noted that the area they had been thrown from had changed from right to left. The foe was probably moving even as the shurikens left their hands. But what direction? Did they have a habit of moving in a particular direction? At the level they were operating at, he doubted it.

Cross boosted the power level on his pistol. It was a pity he shunned heavy weapons, but he was a surgeon and preferred using scalpels. Killgore was the type who liked flash and big explosions, which was what made them the perfect team. At the moment, Cross really could have used Killgore's plasma cannon to melt the wall down and make things a whole lot easier. Instead he was going to have to shoot through the wall at his highest setting in order to kill his opponent. That meant only four shots per magazine before the power level was drained and he'd have to reload. And he didn't have an unlimited number of magazines. He hadn't expected a protracted fight, not with Zeiram.

There was a plan of attack he had for situations like this, though it was based on the premise of two foes fighting in pitch blackness with no way to pierce the gloom. It would have to be adjusted slightly.

Cross tensed up and dove for another fire. He chose a point on the wall one meter to the left from where the first attack had come from, and fired four shots in a perfect vertical line, twenty centimeters apart.

Sure enough, the foe attacked when Cross gave away his position. A quartet of shurikens buried themselves in the plate of the flooring in-between the fires. This time the throws had come from the right of the last attack, and were lower. So the mystery attacker wasn't repeating the dodge pattern. They probably wouldn't dodge twice in the same direction in a row. It was too chancy. Now, it was time to play process of elimination. Cross loaded a fresh magazine, and prayed to the gods of chance that his foe's luck ran out before his.

This time he chose to fire to the left, hoping to herd his foe to the right where he had laid his trap. His shot passed through the wall, followed a moment later by another quartet of shurikens. One nicked him in his shoulder, luckily his off fighting hand. They had come from impossibly high this time. His foe had been standing on something when launching the attack. Very smart.

Cross repeated his firing pattern, always to the left, but either high, middle or low. As he hoped, he slowly herded his foe to the right. It was subconscious, but logical since he was firing in the same direction, and eventually he would get lucky if they dove that way.

The protracted fight took its toll. Cross took another cut across the forehead and a fourth to his side, slicing deeply into flesh but missing anything vital. He shut out the pain, as he had been taught. Pain was the same as any other feeling, nothing more than a warning sign. You could feel hot. You could feel cold. You could either choose to acknowledge it and react accordingly, or ignore it and move on until the body overloaded and collapsed. He'd swallow a coagulant after the fight, when he had the time.

The assassin looked over the room. The fire had spread throughout it now, restricting the number of avenues he could take. He had no choice but to head to a corner, where it would be the end of him if he didn't nail his foe in the next two shots. Perhaps they had set up a trap too, even as he did the same to them.

Another shot, and this time a trio of shurikens headed toward him, barely missing. And then it happened. Behind the original quartet of holes created in his initial salvo, there was a flash of motion from the lower two. Cross aimed ahead of the flash and fired the remaining two shots in his magazine, and found himself in the corner. There were no answering shurikens this time. There could be only two explanations. Either his foe had run out of ammunition, which was unlikely since three had been in the last volley instead of just one, or he had finally hit his target.

Cross emptied his two remaining magazines in the area that he had shot at, then picked his way through the fire and out the exit before he was consumed in the flames. Still no answering attack came forth. He could have tried entering the next room to make sure of the kill, but he didn't care. If the foe was only wounded, and still armed, Cross could be walking into a trap. Odds were higher that simply leaving the foe behind was safe, and they wouldn't be coming after him again since they were either injured or dead. There was no reason to confirm the kill.

After all, it was about business, not pleasure.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

On the other side of the wall, Whisper slowly brought her communicator to her lips, gurgling blood from her punctured lung and quickly bleeding to death from the leg that had been severed at the hip. "Dane." She sounded like her namesake, her voice faint and with just a hint of a rasp.

"Go on," came the response.

"I came close to nailing the Samidat. Just one more... move and he was dead. I think I figured how he did it. I should have gone left just... once more. Not bad, coming within one move of killing a Samidat, and only luck saved him. How many can say that?"

"Not many," came the voice. There was the sound of tired resignation, but nothing else.

She felt everything going dark. "Guess I won't be whispering in your ear anymore."

"That bad?"

"Oh yeah. That bad. Remember the... promise."

"Sure thing. It'll be the biggest, gaudiest mausoleum on your birthplace at Beti Minor. Everyone on the planet will talk about it."

"Thanks." She let go then. Whisper knew she was going to die at some point, and given her profession, sooner was more likely than later. Since in life she had made an art of going unnoticed, she wanted to be acknowledged in death. And a mausoleum that was three stories tall and painted in a rainbow of swirls with four 'eternal flames' burning, was sure to make people sit up and take notice of the woman born into the galaxy as Contessa Anzia Filiono Pontaine.

And then she died. Content, if not happy, which was more than most were given.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Crap!" Dane cursed as he turned off the communicator. He had one confirmed death, and neither Hammer nor Anvil had reported in when they were supposed to. That meant they were probably dead. Stegrax hadn't reported for a while either, but that wasn't a surprise. The cyborg had been constantly disobedient, bordering on mutinous. He had been teetering at the edge of sanity for some time, and had probably gone over it. It wasn't a surprise. He hadn't been that stable to begin with. Who in their right mind voluntarily gave up their perfectly healthy body for that thing he had put his brain into? Stegrax's death would be convenient, since Dane had considered the possibility of killing the cyborg himself, before he became a liability on a mission.

The other three, though, they had formed the core of his team. They had kicked ass and taken names from one side of the galaxy to the next and come out on top every time. Replacing them with new people as talented and reliable as they were was going to be a major pain in the ass. He even liked them, for the most part. Like he would a trio of favored hound dogs.

Killing Zeiram, getting the fat bonus on the side, and maybe taking out Killgore and company, would ease Dane's heart-rending torment. Well, major annoyance might be a better word. Yes, that much money could wipe out any amount of misery. People that claimed money couldn't buy happiness never had enough to buy any.

"Where to, Sir?" one of the dozen security personnel backing up Dane asked.

While Dane had faith in his own abilities, and considered himself the most skilled mercenary of his team, it never hurt to have a lot of people with guns backing up one's plays, at least by his estimation.

Dane was considering trying to raise Hammer and Anvil again when from up ahead at a 'T' junction there came the sound of heavy plodding. Dane silently signaled the men to fan out, leaving himself to command things from the rear of the pack, until the situation sorted itself out.

Thirteen men aimed their guns toward the sound of the slow, yet relentless noise. A single bead of sweat came to Dane's brow. There was no question in his mind to who this could be, the one being in the universe that could decimate half his team without giving them a chance to warn him.

Then Stegrax's head appeared from around the corner.

"I knew it." Dane sighed in relief, bringing his weapons pod down.

The rest of the men also began to lower their weapon with the identification.

Then the rest of Stegrax, and the creature holding him, turned the corner. Now in full view, Dane stared in stunned silence at the sight. Zeiram had an odd barrel-shaped container in one hand and held the upper torso of Stegrax up and out like a shield, with the other. Pulsing veins traveling up Stegrax's frame could be seen, as though the cyborg had formed an unholy fusion with what was supposed to be his mortal foe. Then Dane remembered the dossier on Zeiram that he had received from YSC mentioning the monster's ability to merge with nearly any weapon system that existed.

"Shit!" Dane cursed as Stegrax opened his mouth and unleashed a sonic wave. All of the guards were sent tumbling to the floor, all save Dane, whose absorption mesh cushioned the impact, enabling him to withstand it.

That gave him just enough time to seek a doorframe for cover as Stegrax's left hand came up and filled the corridor with flechettes. Every man caught in the open died under the hail of small sharp objects traveling just under the speed of sound. Only Dane survived unharmed in his miniscule shelter.

The hail stopped, as Dane knew it would. He was familiar with Stegrax's weapons systems and knew it would take a full second to reload for another volley. As Dane came out of the corner and raised his arm up, the appropriate barrel of his pod already in place, he noted Zeiram had made a cardinal mistake. He should have used a fatal attack as his opening move. Now he was going to pay for it with his life.

Mind working as fast as the speed of thought could muster, Dane aimed at the junction of Stegrax's neck. The mini-missile shot out from the launcher just as the next round of flechettes loaded.

The missile hit, exploding before Zeiram could do anything. The detonation threw everything below the severed neck backward, hammering into Zeiram and knocking him off balance, making him drop the large container he carried. Dane followed up as a second barrel locked into position and fired. A coruscating flow of green, blue, and yellow energies intertwined like snakes, emitted from the barrel. The trio of energies formed a single beam as they went clean through Zeiram's front and out the back, blowing a large hole in him.

Zeiram's inhuman roar of pain was like that of hundred men as it echoed through the labyrinth corridors of the facility. The monster fell to the ground, writhing in torment.

Even Dane was impressed by Zeiram's resilience. He refrained from using the Trinity Cannon a second time for two reasons. One was that he needed Zeiram alive for just a little longer in order to get the bonus, and the other was because the weapon took so much power the pod could only hold one shot. It would take the better part of a half hour to recharge enough so that he could fire a second bolt.

Not that Dane needed it. There were other weapons at his disposal, and Zeiram was helpless on the ground. Stationary targets were always his favorites. Still, the green monster was durable, and it wouldn't do to underestimate him. A little more softening up was in order.

Dane switched his weapon pod over to its laser function and began walking up to Zeiram, firing on the move. Surprisingly, the beam had little effect, merely scorching the creature's outside and barely penetrating. Switching over to his slug thrower, Dane pumped a sextet of seven centimeter depleted vanadanium-reatium core slugs into the monster. Even Zeiram's tough exterior couldn't protect him with the speeds the high density rounds struck. Each went deep into his body, making him cry out again in pain, though much more weakly than before. Once a spasm of twitching passed, Zeiram remained motionless.

"Don't die on me yet, big guy, not until I get my bonus." Dane pulled out the item that had been in the special package YSC had sent him when he first accepted the assignment and was informed of what earning his bonus entailed. It would nearly double his take. No, even better. With everyone else dead, he would more than triple his normal fee. Apparently losing one's comrades in the line of duty had a certain upside. He'd make certain to give Whisper a really ostentatious mausoleum when the time came.

The cylindrical object looked like nothing more than a high tech syringe with a computer display on the side to monitor the contents. Dane saw the display indicated it was ready. He moved forward to where the gaping wound in Zeiram's chest was. It was amazing. Any normal humanoid creature would have died with a hole that big in their chest cavity. Zeiram was not only alive, but Dane could see the blood flow had slowed to a trickle and there were signs of the wound starting to regenerate. The mercenary wagered putting some plasma into the top of his mushroom cap and sending it down the trunk of the body would finish it off for good.

As Dane bent down to stick the syringe in, the white face at the brim of Zeiram's wide head suddenly came to life. It shot out from its housing, its serpentine body connecting it to the brim as it sank its needlelike teeth into its foe. The white slivers tore through the absorption mesh and bit deep into the meat of his forearm. Dane cried out in pain and dropped the syringe as he began a tug of war with the evil-looking thing as it tried to cling onto him for dear life.

Using all his strength, Dane pulled his arm out of the creature's toothy maw, leaving behind a good chunk of his forearm in the process. As much pain as he was in, he still had enough cognizance to be revolted as the head swallowed the piece of flesh it had bitten off and almost seemed to laugh at him in satisfaction

The rest of Zeiram was not idle. As Dane pulled away, the monster rolled up into a kneeling position, displaying surprising agility for a creature his size, especially considering the wounds he had suffered. His arm lashed out in an arc, and Dane was just barely aware of a trio of spikes, with red tassels on them, heading toward him.

Finely honed reflexes took over as Dane managed to dodge the first two. The third, which had been aimed at his face, was intercepted as he brought his weapons pod in front of him. Hurled with Zeiram's considerable strength, the spike pierced the outer casing of the pod and embedded itself in the metal.

"Nice try!" Dane cried out as he aimed the plasma cannon barrel right at the evil white head.

Then the spike exploded, taking the weapon pod with it. Dane found himself assailed by a cloud of shrapnel. His suit absorbed some of it, but many other pieces cut deep into his body. Worse, the white phosphorus tube in his pod spilled its contents directly upon his face. His voice, unable to reach the inhuman pitch Zeiram's could, still rivaled the beast's earlier cry. It was Dane's turn to roll on the ground as the phosphorous ate away at his flesh.

Zeiram rose to his feet somewhat wobbly. He took a single step toward Dane, then stopped as his head jerked abruptly. He turned around, picked up the container he had been carrying, and proceeded to walk away at a high rate of speed, his wounds healing every step of the way.

Dane was unaware of Zeiram's peculiar actions. He was unaware of anything other then whiteness of pain that his entire reality had turned into. It was so great that it refused to allow him even the relief of unconsciousness, and instead left him floating in a world that was composed solely of agony.

How long Dane remained in that state he could not say, time lost all meaning. Everything lost meaning. It was an unending mobius loop of pain. But then other things began to intrude. A gradual lessening of the pain allowed the introduction of thought, of concepts beyond agony. Then came awareness. He was a man, Alexander Dane. Memories. He was a mercenary, who had fought against a powerful enemy and lost. Then the pain seemed to go away, with nothing left in its wake. A numbness covered his body. It was like his flesh had turned into several inches of rubber, desensitizing him to the world.

A deep, masculine voice said, "I loaded you up with Namadol. It'll deaden every pain receptor in your brain, as well as most of your receptors for motor control. But you'll be aware mentally."

Dane found his head didn't really want to move, so instead he turned his eyes. Only one responded. There was nothing but blackness in the other. He saw that his salvation was the next to last person he had ever expected to see.

"Killgore." The word came out muffled through a jaw that barely responded to commands. It was difficult enough to make his tongue move.

"Yep. The one and only."

Since Killgore had saved him, there was a good chance he was unaware of the actions Dane had taken to have him eliminated. He praised every god there was the idiot security forces had failed to dispose of Killgore. "Good... to... see... you."

Killgore seemed unimpressed. "Odd. That wasn't the attitude you had earlier when you ordered your troops to kill us. I lost six men to those idiots. That really pisses me off."

This was bad. "Not... true. Stupid... security... misunderstand... order."

"Save it." Killgore said in a tired voice. "I only pumped you full of painkiller so you'd see what's coming."

"Wait!" Dane said in desperation. "We're... on... same... side. I... got... stuff... for... bonus."

Killgore raised his heavy plasma cannon up and aimed it at Dane's face. "Nice try, but I saw the empty unit. Right now there's only one thing you can do for me."

"What?"

"Die." Killgore pulled the trigger, watching Dane's head vaporize in the heat generated by the weapon. "Thanks." Killgore said, giving the remains a mock salute.

Then Killgore felt the unmistakable touch of cold metal pressed against his lower back. He gave a tired sigh. "There's only one person in the universe I know who'd want to put a gun to my back yet not automatically pull the trigger. How's it going, Sunshine?"

Iria spat on the ground, blood mingling with the saliva. Despite having recovered somewhat from her battle with Stegrax, she still appeared worn and exhausted. "Well, well, well, that little conversation sure was interesting. I don't recall you mentioning anything about a bonus or empty units."

Killgore turned around to look Iria in the eye. She backed off, but kept the gun pointed at him. "It's a time bonus. If we stop Zeiram quickly, we get more money. But that's looking like the longest shot I've ever seen in my life."

"What about the empty unit?"

"It's a minor thing I've been sworn to secrecy about, and it doesn't concern you. I want Zeiram dead. You want Zeiram dead. YSC obviously wants him dead, maybe more than everyone else put together." His voice instantly went from tired to irate, as though something had snapped all at once inside him. "I'm tired of your pointless questions, constant paranoia, threats, and finding a gun pointed at me every time you feel agitated and want to blow of some steam. Either shoot me or get that damn thing out of my face."

Iria turned bright red, and her grip tightened to the point it made the gun tremble. Her eyes seemed to glaze over for a brief second, and the edge of a smile made its appearance known. Then she seemed to regain control and holstered the gun. She turned away and walked off without another word.

Once Killgore was convinced she was well out of earshot, he released his breath. That had been much closer than he expected.

A figure detached itself from some nearby shadows. "The little tart had no idea how close to death she was."

"Always watching my back?" Killgore asked, flashing Cross his winning smile.

The assassin shrugged. "What can I say? I get bored easily."

As he moved fully into the lighting, Killgore noticed the bloody bandages on his side and ankle. "You should really get those looked at."

"I took some coagulants. I'm a little slow, but still lethal."

"I'm sure you are." Killgore said. Before their conversation could continue, there was a burst of static. The mercenary brought out his communicator. "Talk to me."

"This is Destiny. We just got a contact with a ship that put down for a second next to the facility and took off again."

"Shit!" Killgore cursed. "Don't wait for us. Follow it and take her out."

"That might be a problem, Sir. Apparently the authorities have our ship in their database as a mercenary company and have us detained until they can ascertain we had nothing to do with the crash. I don't think we can shoot our way out. Their ships look mighty big, and they have us targeted."

"Don't try it. Just let them be." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Are they at least pursuing the other ship?"

"Yes, but none of their units were in position, so it seems unlikely they'll catch up before the ship's long gone."

"That figures. We'll be up once things get sorted out. Killgore out." He cut the switch and there was silence.

"What do you want to do?" Cross asked.

"I'm getting sick and tired of being behind. Now that Zeiram has what he came for, and I'm sure he does, I need more intelligence and a few answers. I'm going to YSC headquarters and talk to Springer myself."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Cross asked.

Killgore gave him his trademark smile. "Nope, I'll probably need you to take care of matters here."

The light of understanding dawned in Cross' eyes. "I see. Yes. Just give me the word, and I'll 'take care of matters'."

"Good." Killgore spat once more on Dane's corpse and headed for the nearest exit. It was time to get some answers and solve some sticky situations that had come up in one fell swoop.

Xxxxxxxx

[End fic]

Special thanks to Aondhafka David McMillan


	11. Chapter 11

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot Chapter 11

Any and all CC is appreciated. You can contact me at

All of my fics are stored at the following:

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Standard Disclaimer I don't own the right to any of the Dirty Pair or Iria: Zeiram, the Animation characters.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Got your toothbrush packed?" Cross asked.

"Yeah, Mom. I packed clean underwear too," Killgore said around the pen in his mouth as he finished inventorying the items that he would take with him to YSC headquarters on Danube. The list was short, since it was only a system away from their current position orbiting above the pleasure moon of Xyphos 13. The moon was the nearest inhabited planetoid to Danube, without actually being in the system of the same name.

Cross's expression went from lighthearted to serious. "How long do you think you'll be?"

Killgore shrugged. "It's hard to say. I want to see Springer personally, and given the circumstances, I wouldn't be surprised if she's near the president himself, which means it might take a while to get in touch with her. Depends on how long her leash is."

Cross nodded his head almost imperceptibly. "Yes, with the Holcomb fiasco over with, Scorphius only needs one more thing before he becomes a real threat."

"Which gives me a strong bargaining posture, eh?" Killgore winked conspiratorially at his personal assassin.

"Yes, be a dear and bring us an additional incentive bonus, would you?" Cross placed a hand to his chin in thought. "There was something else I was going to mention to you, but I can't seem to remember it."

"There you are, godammit!"

"Ah, yes, that would be what I forgot," Cross said whimsically.

Killgore looked over Cross' shoulder and shot a concealed frown at his ex-wife as she stormed over to him. "When did she get on board?" he whispered low enough so that the woman wouldn't hear.

"A little while ago. I tried talking her out of it, but she was insistent... insistent to the point that we would have had to shoot her down in order to keep her off. I was tempted."

Before Killgore could respond, Iria was standing in front of him, hands on her hips in open anger. "I was looking all over for you. The morons on this ship don't have a clue on how to give directions."

"The ship isn't that big," Killgore pointed out. "Anyway, why are you here, Sunshine?"

She glared at the appellation. "Well, Lance, I heard you were going to YSC headquarters. I want you to take me along."

Killgore clapped his hands together with enthusiastic glee. "It'll be like a second honeymoon."

Iria refused to rise to the bait. "I'm dead serious. I just want to talk to someone in charge and get some answers. That's all."

"Hmm. I remember you regaling me with tales of the last time you went to some company's headquarters and demanded answers. I hate to break this to you, but YSC is not some penny-ante operation like Tedan Tippendai. You can't just barge in, shoot a handful of guards, and threaten to drop the VP out a sixty floor window."

"I did drop him out the window. I just didn't let him hit the ground," Iria corrected.

"The point is, you try to come on with the thug tactics, and you'll end up dead before you get one floor up. It's the most secure facility they have. It makes Holcomb look like a mom-and-pop liquor store when it comes to protecting the place."

"I'll behave," Iria promised.

"No way. I'm in a hurry, so I'm going alone," Killgore said it in a manner that let her know he considered the discussion over.

Much to his surprise, Iria shrugged. "Okay, I'll just have Kei and Yuri take me there. And since they'll be there, and they are 3WA troubleshooters, they'll probably ask much more intrusive questions than I would. And they'll expect answers since they have the authority to do so, and I'm sure they'll mention how your actions in particular made them suspicious. So which do you think your employers would prefer: me asking the questions or them?"

"Good point," Killgore admitted grudgingly. "Okay, you can go along if you're willing to leave immediately."

"Right now would be fine."

With the matter resolved, Killgore unleashed his most charming smile at her. "It'll take a couple of hours to get to Danube. Since we don't have anything to do while we're flying, why don't we entertain ourselves the way we used to on those long space voyages back when we were married?"

Iria casually pulled a knife from her belt and began cleaning her nails with it.

"Idle chatter it is." The smile disappeared, but it took much longer for the knife to do the same. Killgore anticipated a long trip in store for him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Night had fallen on Myce. The weather was a touch on the sultry side, but the skies were clear and wind non-existent. It was the sort of night that was made for lazing about outdoors while drinking one's favorite beverage.

But for the young slicer named Mikael, it could have been raining hard enough to drown a fish and he wouldn't have noticed. He was busying himself with completing the final test run on his computers. All the hardware and software passed their final check, and he heaved a sigh of relief. While he was tense with what was about to come, excitement ruled his heart.

His mother and Kei had given him an interesting challenge. Slicing into YSC's system to see if he could dig up any information on Zeiram and discover their true goal concerning the monstrosity was something only the greatest of slicers would even consider attempting. Everyone knew the intersystem megacorps had the most difficult systems to crack given the security measures placed on their networks. Luckily, the job wasn't impossible. Far from it, actually. The system itself was easy to connect to. Like most corporations its size, YSC had to maintain contact with all of its numerous holdings in one way or another through the vast intersystem computer networks in order to make sure operations were being handled efficiently. That need to survey accurate information readily meant sacrificing the security of sealed standalone systems, thereby making their information net easy to access.

Of course, YSC was painfully aware of this vulnerability, and had developed security features so complex that while accessing the system was easy, penetrating it was nearly impossible. But their system was like any complicated structure, and had weak points. Only an expert slicer of Mikael's caliber could possibly discern where those weaknesses were located and enter the soft insides of the system. Though even accomplishing that was not enough, since there were many other security features inside the system as well as out. But once inside, Mikael could dig in deep and discover their secrets, hopefully before he was discovered by the internal security programs.

Given the importance of the request from his mother and Kei, Mikael invested all of his time and energy into that goal. That meant digging up specific information from the underground slicer community and from others that attempted to break into YSC. Much to Mikael's concern, he discovered that a number of slicers, most of them talented (though not as good as him. he told himself), ended up having their brains fried when they were caught inside the system. Technically, no one using intersystem networks was supposed to have aggressive attack programs that would lobotomize slicers, but they still existed. It was part of the chances one took when trying to go where they didn't belong, and the element of risk tended to excite slicers, who were breaking the rules themselves.

Mikael's investigation turned up several potentially good possibilities for initial penetration into the system. A slicer by the handle of Lemon Drop had discovered a permanent access port into the system through a backdoor some YSC programmer had made. It wasn't a large scale operation, just some low-level fertilizer business on a world that was in the later stages of colonizing, but if the backdoor was as good as she claimed, he had a reliable way in that would save him days of trying to find one of his own. It had taken a good bit of wheedling, money, and sharing of very valuable information Mikael had dug up on his own before she gave him access to the backdoor, since there was a reasonable chance YSC would discover his information raid and would permanently seal it.

With the door opened, Mikael had turned to the hardware matter. He brought everything he owned into play, anticipating this to be the biggest score of his life. Most of his money went into hardware, but state-of-the art was necessary for one of his skill. His mother never skimped on weaponry when it came to her line of work. He was talented enough to make plenty of money, and had a setup that most slicers would envy.

There were still reservations. When he had originally looked over his equipment, Mikael worried that it might not be enough for something this big. The only way to increase his own 'firepower' at that point was to combine forces with another slicer. Mikael called in a few markers from a local talent named 'Smoothie' (including a promise to hook him up with a girl from the 'Touch of Heaven' bordello) before his compatriot agreed to link their systems together. With their combined systems, Mikael would be able to really speed or power through YSC's network in a way he had never been able to before.

Since all of the systems checked out, Mikael went to a monitor and activated its viewscreen. The picture flared to life. Mikael winced as it showed a very large close up of Smoothie's face. Seeing his temporary partner, Mikael was reminded of when Kei had jokingly confessed she had expected Mikael to be an out-of-shape, geeky nerd who would become panicky when confronted with someone as attractive as her. It wasn't the first time Mikael had heard such, and it always irritated him that women would automatically assume he was like that when hearing his profession before actually meeting him. Regrettably, Mikael had to admit there was some validity in the stereotype when looking at the ill-named Smoothie. He was near morbidly obese, rumpled, unkempt, laughed far too hard at his own jokes, and looked like he considered bathing an option rather than a necessity. It was slicers like him that gave ones like Mikael an unwarranted reputation.

Seeing Smoothie in such a state prodded Mikael into action. "Remember, you promised me you'd clean yourself up before going out with Michelle." Getting the attractive prostitute to agree to go out with the slicer (without being paid for it) hadn't been easy. It had taken a lot of cajoling (and an agreement for Mikael to go out with her on a real date as well) to make her acquiesce. And upon seeing a picture of Smoothie, she had forced Mikael to make the other slicer agree to certain terms.

The rotund man rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll go to that stylist you mentioned."

"And you won't pick your nose like you're doing now," Mikael said.

Smoothie's eyes widened and he retracted the digit. "Sorry. Nervous habit. You really think she'll have sex with me? It's been a long while. Way too long."

"As long as you make yourself presentable. She has a thing against sloppiness. It doesn't matter how handsome you are if you aren't tidy." On the upside, Michelle was the type that really enjoyed her work, and upon getting her to agree to go out on a date with Smoothie, it was assumed sex was part of the package. As long as his partner could keep his act together, the slicer would have the fun night he wanted.

With the assurance of 'payment' being secured, Mikael switched to the more urgent matter. "Everything up and running on your end?" It seemed to be according to Mikael's connections, but it never hurt to have someone onsite double-check.

Smoothie flashed him a thumbs up. "It's all under your control. I won't be heading in with you, but I can keep an eye open on the outside. Oh yeah, also, if an emergency comes up and we need more computing power, I have some local backdoors open and can access the city's network. I can seize control for about five minutes or so if we need the boost, so I can only do it in an emergency."

"You're a true talent." And it wasn't far from the truth. According to Smoothie, he had made it a goal to have ways to slice into every single public system in the city, and had succeeded. He joked that he could have every politician and policeman start working for the sanitation department for a week before they'd figure out something was wrong. If he said he could tap into the city's system and use it to boost their own, it was the truth.

Mikael took a deep breath. It was pointless to waste any more time. There was nothing further he could do to ensure his safety, and others were waiting for him to come through. It took only minutes for him to hook up the input switches to the cybernetic headjack in the back of his neck. That would link his brain up to his computer system and allow his mind to travel the electronic highways that had been created by an interlinked galaxy.

There was one last thing to do before allowing his mind to enter the system and begin its mission to slice away the information he needed. Mikael picked up an injector filled with a greenish fluid. Pheryl Gel was an invention that had been created under questionable circumstances. Despite its notorious history (supposedly involving nearly five hundred deaths in its experimental stages) the gel worked, enabling the user's mind to process the huge amounts of information that could be gained while hooked up to the cyberealm. It was like an ambrosia to slicers everywhere, giving them the ability to improve their abilities by a factor of three. Of course, as with most things, there was a major drawback. While not addictive (most users experienced migraines after the effects wore off) its increase in mental information capacity meant a decrease in one's motor systems. It cut down sensitivity to the point of where it felt like the user was wearing a thick rubber suit. While being hooked up to a computer, one's awareness of their body was limited, but losing control of their physical form was still an unpleasant feeling. That was one of the reasons Mikael used the gel sparingly.

But it was needed this time. Speed was of the essence, perhaps more than even stealth. No matter how quietly he moved through YSC's system, eventually he would trip some sort of security system, the law of averages dictated it. That meant he had to get the information fast and get out before they nailed him and deep fried his brain.

As the drug made its way through his body, Mikael opened his mind up fully to his hardware and seized control of it, allowing a portion of his consciousness to 'go' elsewhere.

Diving into a computer mentally was an impossible thing to describe. It wasn't anything the physical senses could understand because none of them came into play. The human mind was incapable of defining what an electronic environment was like, at least in words. It was more like a combination of imagination and sensations, which the brain could process at subconscious levels and give to the conscious mind the ability to act and react as it meshed itself into flows of data. Only fully electronic entities, like Bob, could function in it and interpret things better. Of course, the price for that was an inability to have physical form in the real world.

Now suitably calm, Mikael allowed his mind to follow the path already laid out before him. As fast as the information could arrive, Mikael found himself at the backdoor Lemon Drop had pointed out to him. There was only one way to see if she was telling the truth, or if he'd be kicked out immediately, and that was to access it and let his mind 'wander' inside. So he did.

And just like that he was in. It was definitely YSC's system, and he was inside, their strongest barrier breached without effort. But that was the easy part. Now that he was inside, he would have to track down the information he was looking for, and it could be literally be anywhere in the thousands of systems that made up YSC's network. Worse, there would be plenty of countermeasures along every step of the way. Still, that was what slicing was all about: sifting through systems to dig up information before you were caught. YSC represented the largest playground Mikael had ever had the opportunity to frolic in.

The slicer felt a thrill run down his spine as he used all the resources at his disposal into search.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"He has the last component to Argus! You told me he wouldn't get it!"

The woman known only as Springer, even to her employer -who happened to be the man who was speaking to her- turned away from the wall she had been staring at and shot him her standard, cold stare. "I told you it was wiser to destroy the samples and guarantee your brother couldn't get his hands on it. You could have manufactured more later, once Anton was taken care of."

Slapatcha Scorphius, president of Yurenex-Solvar Corporation, shifted uncomfortably in his chair. The lavish chambers of his office (which was the size of a small home) in the large complex that formed the headquarters of the interstellar company, made him seem small and feel alone, despite the fact he was surrounded by nearly ten thousand people that would obey his every wish. "That would have been extremely expensive. The raw material for the process alone would be astronomical."

"It would be cheaper than what he's going to do to your company once he gets his hands on a mass driver," Springer said. Still her voice lacked any emotion. All she did was state inescapable facts.

Slapatcha pounded his fist on his handmade Shimikas Wood desk. It was one of only four known to exist, given the rarity of the wood since the destruction of the tree's home planet nearly a thousand years earlier. "You said those mercenaries you hired would take care of the matter."

"I said they were the best money could buy," Springer corrected. "I did not guarantee success. Against an unknown variable like Zeiram, combined with the inside knowledge, genius, and insanity of your brother, there are no guarantees. Their combination of skills makes them very deadly and almost as unpredictable. If they were easy to kill, they'd already be dead."

Slapatcha repeated the fist thumping. "How can he evade us? We have resources no one else in the universe has! He should have been eliminated an hour after we learned he was still alive!"

"Your brother had been planing this betrayal for years without anyone else's knowledge. He is proactive, while you are reactive. He is fast, and powerful, if only on a small scale, while YSC is ultimately large and clumsy. It is an inevitability given your tremendous size. Since he worked for you, he knows your inadequacies, vulnerabilities, and how to best exploit them. Eventually we will catch up to him. He cannot avoid us forever. The only question is how much damage he can inflict in the interim."

"A damn lot now that he found out about Argus!" Slapatcha ran his hands over his short, curly hair.

"Yes, how unfortunate he found the plans on that liner of yours he hit. Before he was just a nuisance taking out small operations. Now he's a major threat."

Slapatcha's shoulders slumped in hopelessness. "All he needs is a mass driver now. They might not be common, but there are still way too many of them for us to cover all of them in the galaxy. He's won."

Springer stopped pacing. "No. On the contrary, given his mental state and pathological hatred of your company, we can be certain that Anton will only use a mass driver that is owned by YSC."

Hope gleamed in Slapatcha eyes. "You're certain?"

"Yes," Springer confirmed.

Slapatcha spoke into a voice unit that sat on the edge of his desk. "Give me the exact number of mass drivers currently owned by YSC."

A second later, holographic projectors moved from their concealed positions around the room and displayed the information in large blue characters that hung in the air. A voice repeated the information for those not interested in the effort to read it. "Currently YSC owns four. These are their current locations." A map of the galaxy hung off to the side, breaking down into four separate maps and pinpointing the exact location of each.

Slapatcha considered the matter. "Good, they're all isolated mining operations. It'll be a logistics nightmare, but I'm convinced we can get major firepower around all of them. He'll probably go for the closest, since he'll be in a hurry, so we'll prioritize reinforcing that one, followed by the rest in order."

Springer observed the display, then held up a warning finger. "Something is not right. Have the computer list all the mass drivers that have ever been built by YSC."

The request made Slapatcha stare at her curiously. "I don't think we actually make them. We just commission their construction through someone else. The market isn't that large for them." He requested the information, and the computer returned his predicted results.

Springer continued staring at the projection. "List all the mass drivers YSC has ever owned."

The company's president did so. Three of them were listed as having broken down and been scrapped, another had been destroyed in a mining accident, and there was one other.

Springer nodded at the last one. "That's it. That's the one he'll go after. The one you donated to this planet's government. There's no way he'll pass up the opportunity to use the mass driver poised above your very own head to destroy you. It would be ironic justice in his eyes."

For a moment, Slapatcha said nothing. Then a soft chuckle escaped his lips. The chuckle became a chortle. Eventually it devolved into full blown laughter. Springer remained where she was, waiting patiently until the laughter died down.

Through his giggles, the president of YSC finally got out, "We can only pray he does. That mass driver is on one of the military's orbital platforms. It's designed to repel a planetary invasion. It has enough firepower to blow a half dozen battleships apart and still have guns to spare. Even if he could get past the exterior defenses, there are three hundred men on board. Not the rank and file security people or bumbling mercenaries you've been hiring, but highly trained military personnel. They'll tear him to pieces in minutes. And, since Danube's government needs us to keep their world from becoming the backwater flyspeck it was before we came here, we can warn them about what to expect in Zeiram. They'll keep their mouths shut, since what's bad for us is fatal for them. If Anton is stupid enough to come here, it'll all be over for him, not us."

"I hope you're right." While Springer's voice carried no emotion, the doubt in the statement was obvious.

Slapatcha's amusement died. "I'm not so convinced he'll strike here. He's not suicidal. I'll alert the military's overlord that Zeiram will be arriving, but then I'm going ahead and moving our own forces into position to prevent him from grabbing one of the other mass drivers."

That met with a nod from Springer, who placed a hand to her chin. "Killgore will be arriving soon. I'll reroute him to the orbital platform."

Slapatcha shook his head sadly. "What do you think he can do that all of those military personnel can't?"

"Think on his own," Springer said flatly.

Before Slapatcha could respond to that, a beeping emanated from a communicator, similar to Iria's, that was attached to Springer's wrist. She brought it up to her face and said, "Report."

"We have a trace on someone that sliced into the system. This guy's a real talent. Backtracking shows he slipped right in and plowed through everything we had. We were actually lucky that we spotted him when we did, he's that good. He got in deep. Real deep. He looked into a lot of places he shouldn't have, so we're going to have to take measures immediately. I just need to know if you want to recruit or neutralize. I recommend recruitment. It would behoove us to make his talents our own."

"Download the info to me." A smaller holographic projector sprang to life from the wrist unit. Springer pored over the data as it was sent to her, processing it at what should have been inhuman speeds. Suddenly, she snapped, "Wait! Go back fifty lines." She reread the information, then turned away. She spoke mostly to herself as she said, "Myce? That was where Zeiram hit during his previous incursion. Tedan Tippendai was headquartered there, and... and that damned 3WA agent was just there!"

The curse caught Slapatcha's attention. Springer was showing emotion. She never showed emotion. And it seemed to have centered on Myce. No, it was when she recalled the 3WA agent's presence there. That was what had triggered the outburst. How very... interesting. Springer was one of the few things in Scorphius' life that was an enigma. Despite all the power at his command, he knew nothing about her, other than she was the absolute best there was at her job and always accomplished her goals. This Zeiram matter was the one time she had, if not failed, at least been delayed in resolving things. And in her defense, it was Anton who she was dealing with. Insane or not, he was a Scorphius, and they were a breed apart. And then there was Zeiram, which was nearly an irresistible force. She could be afforded some slack in this matter. At least for now.

While Slapatcha considered things, Springer continued giving orders. "Listen to me. Don't brainfry him. Let him keep roaming around. I want him stationary. I need confirmation on his death. Bring in every agent we have on Myce. Send them all the intel and give the codephrase, 'It's time for the chimney sweep to dust'."

"Understood." The communicator went silent.

Slapatcha looked at her curiously. "Chimney Sweep?"

Springer turned to him. "It means the agents are to eliminate the target with extreme prejudice and at any cost. They can sacrifice their cover and any amount of collateral damage is acceptable."

"I see." That was fine with Slapatcha. Myce had been unimportant since the fall of Tedan Tippendai. They could afford to sacrifice whatever positions their people had attained there. It would be no great loss, and they could be relocated at minimal cost.

Satisfied things were well in hand for the first time in months, Slapatcha Scorphius leaned back in his chair and relaxed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

It was deep in the heart of night, closer to an approaching dawn than anything else, in a run-down section of the capital city of Myce, that two people met for the first time in their lives. One was a woman, ordinary in appearance in every way. The other was a man, slightly older, with a touch of gray at his temples. Aside from that he appeared every bit as commonplace as the woman. They met in front of an apartment building, identical in shape and form to the others on either side of it, save for the touches of graffiti decorating its edifice. The collage of artwork from the many artists that regarded the buildings as their personal canvases gave personality to the soulless, pragmatic design.

The woman spoke first. "Chimney Sweep?"

The man nodded. "Call me Ishmael."

"That's cliché."

"I figured it best we don't know each other's everyday names. Plausible deniability is always a necessity in our line of work."

The woman shot him a tired look. "Fine. It's Bianca, then. Seniority designates you quarterback. Where are the others?"

"There are only two that are stationed around this section of the planet. Luckily Perez, whose normal base of operations is in Luchon, happened to have been sent to Myce on company business and is on his way via car. Unfortunately Vyory, who's normally stationed here, was out on some kind of isolated community thing his corporation saw fit to send its employees to. Supposedly the isolation is to promote teamwork."

Bianca's lip curled. "I had to go on one of those once. Being forced into the middle of nowhere surrounded by annoying coworkers promoted my desire to kill them all."

Ishmael nodded in sympathy. "In any case, it'll take him a while to find transportation out here, so he cannot be relied upon. Perez is coming, but we're in a hurry."

"This is the target's building?"

Ishmael nodded. "Upon arriving, I scouted out the location. I tapped into the power feed and followed the flows. There's only one apartment that's drawing enough juice to be operating a computer system capable of penetrating our employer's defenses. It's located on this side, third floor, two windows from the left."

Bianca looked up and mentally marked the dull orange glow that peeked through the room's single window. "Escape routes?"

"Door on the front, one on the East side of the building, and a rear exit. However, from his door there's only one way of going down, and we'll be going up those stairs. He'll be trapped with no means of escape."

"I'm not wild about hitting him with only the two of us," Bianca admitted.

Ishmael appeared unconcerned. "I looked around the interior. Even if he was a front man for someone, they don't have any resources here. We'll hit it together, though it shouldn't matter one way or another. It's probably just some small time slicer that sneaked into the wrong place at the wrong time. I doubt there'll be much in the-"

It was at that moment a quintet of young toughs came from further up the street and approached the couple. The group had the same predatory smell that all such people, who wandered about in packs in similar lower class areas on every planet in the galaxy, emanated.

One of them, the leader of the pack, acted as spokesman and moved forward. The other members of the group responded by encircling the pair, cutting off any avenues of escape. "Well, well, well. It looks like you aren't from around here. Did you get los-"

The rest of the question went unasked as the man and woman drew energy pistols from their jacket pockets and without hesitation, fired upon the gang. The spokesman was hit first, a hole left in his chest right where his heart was. More flashes filled the air with quick, deadly precision. Only one of the men had time to realize what was happening and draw back before he died with the rest of his comrades.

Ishmael kept his gun in hand, placing it behind his body so it wasn't openly displayed. "As I was saying, I doubt there'll be much in the way of problems. I think command just wants to make sure the information wasn't forwarded to someone else. I'm a fair slicer myself, so I should be able to determine if it was leaked, and if so, backtrack it to the source and eliminate that as well."

The woman nodded. "Good. Let's get going."

The pair stepped over the spokesman's body as casually as if it were a large crack in the sidewalk and entered the apartment building, heading straight for their destination.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mikael could scarcely accept what his senses were telling him as he continued to sift through the information, recording everything he was coming across. It was impossible, yet according to YSC's network, it was real. Of course, it was all just computer information, and could be falsified, but he knew it wasn't. YSC would never create such a widespread fabrication in their own system. Not when it was verified from so many different sources. If it was some sort of high level scam, perhaps, but it had taken all of his abilities to get in this far. No, Mikael had stumbled on what might be one of the best kept secrets of the century.

While his mother and Kei had asked him to retrieve information on Zeiram from YSC's database, there was no way they could have guessed his path would lead him to this. Worse, they couldn't possibly know what they had gotten into. They would have warned him, or more likely, gone for help from just about anyone if they had learned the truth.

What was almost as amazing as the actual information was that he had never heard the vaguest hint of it anywhere, and this was the sort of thing that if anyone knew about it, rumors would have spread everywhere. YSC must have gone to unbelievable lengths to keep it quiet, though the secret itself would have helped in tracking down those that had knowledge of it.

And now Mikael knew.

He had to warn his mother and Kei. Due to the nature of the problem, sending the information directly to them was impossible. They would never receive it, and it could be used to track Mikael's location. He would have to deliver it to them personally. It was the only way to make them understand what they had really gotten themselves into.

Then an idea occurred to him. While Mikael needed to get out of the system before his presence was discovered (and he would be brain-fried beyond any doubt), he could use YSC against itself by tapping into their information network and seeing if he could find anything recent on his mother and Kei. Even a little inside information might make the difference between life and death when playing with these sort of stakes involved.

By now tapping into the communications logs and slicing into their own search programs to find any relevant information was simple. Nothing came up that he didn't already know, so he widened the search in case they were using codenames instead of the actual names. He began searching for any information on the regions of space they had been. YSC wouldn't codename those. At least Mikael didn't think they would.

His concerns were groundless as this time the search turned up results. He began looking over the list of hits, his eyes settling on one in particular pertaining to Myce. It had been prioritized and sent out...

...Since he had hacked into the system.

They were on to him. Mikael was sure of it, and they had contacted people on Myce to eliminate him. He didn't know why they hadn't fried his head instead, but he wasn't about to give them the opportunity to change their minds. He forcefully extracted his consciousness from the system before they realized he knew they had spotted him. It was painful to instantly cut himself off from the massive amount of information pouring into his expanded awareness. It was the mental equivalent of grabbing an eyeball and yanking it out of its socket, but the pain was transitory since it was virtual, and infinitely better than having one's brain lobotomized.

Mikael hit the emergency extraction and screamed in pain at the violent shutdown of his awareness. Apparently Pheryl didn't do anything for forms of mental trauma. He simply lay back in his seat, counting the seconds and waiting for the pain to diminish so he could think clearly once again.

Smoothie's face appeared in the monitor. "Heyyo, what happened? If they lobotomized you, I'm grabbing all of your stuff."

Mikael's voice was surprisingly hoarse. "I'm not lobotomized. I did an emergency extract."

Smoothie winced. "I had to do that once. I'd rather pull a tooth out of my mouth than my brain out of a computer."

"It's starting to fade." Just a little, but it was beginning to. Mikael kept telling himself it was all in his head. Of course, everything was in the head since that was where the brain was located, and it was what interpreted information. If it thought there was pain, then you felt the pain, whether it physically existed or not.

It appeared Smoothie was about to say something else when he turned, as though something in the room had caught his attention. "Hold on."

"I'm not going anywhere." Mikael thought the pain was going away. It was hard to tell when there was so much of it. He concentrated, hoping to cut through the haze. There was a measure of success as the slicer remembered exactly why he had pulled out so quickly. "Smoothie, wait. There's something I need to tell you."

Then he heard it. Growing up with a professional bounty hunter as one's mother meant becoming familiar with all sorts of weaponry, including the telltale signature of an energy pistol being fired at close range.

"Shit!" Mikael cut the connections to Smoothie's equipment. He swore again. He should have fried Smoothie's system before cutting the link. If the person on the other side was the least bit computer literate, they could read Smoothie's logs and track Mikael down.

His situation was compromised. Sparing a thought for poor Smoothie and the date he was never going to have, Mikael tried getting up and nearly fell on the floor. He began using every curse his mother had ever uttered. He had forgotten the effects the Pheryl had on his body. He forced himself to rise to his feet, feeling like the air was as thick as molasses.

At least his mind wasn't similarly impeded. There was not time to delay. The faceless killers would be coming for him next, once they realized Smoothie hadn't been the one slicing their system. Mikael pulled the disks containing all the information he had copied from YSC and went to his emergency cache. It was a trick his mother had hammered into him that had become a habit by now. It was hidden inside an oversized surge protector that, if one looked closely, they would realize was totally redundant with what was already hooked up to the system. Of course, no one would look at it closely, which was why Mikael had chosen to hide it there. Opening the top revealed the hollowed out interior and a number of small items. He pulled out his emergency account card, a second one with a false name, several fake travel ID's, and a reclamation ticket to a small storage unit he had outside of town. It was unlikely he would need the last since his plan was to get off planet as soon as possible, but it was better to have it and not use it than to need it and not have it.

There was only one more thing to do. Mikael looked sadly at his computer equipment. He had planned for this possibility as well. It had taken him the better part of two years and a ton of money to set it up to his liking, but his base of operations had been compromised, and he wasn't taking any chances on the people that were after him getting their hands on possibly sensitive material. Most of his important programs were backed up elsewhere, but saying goodbye to the actual hardware was outright painful.

He thought of the women that needed this information. That was what was important. His mother had always said, "Items you value more than your life are traps," and while he liked his system, he could part with it a lot more easily than the people he cared about.

Course decided, he flipped open a panel on the side, hit a six digit code, pausing two seconds, then hit two last numbers. He then flipped the panel back down and headed out the door. He didn't want to be present as his system wiped out its memory. To be sure no information could be salvaged, the instant the program was finished, a magnetic charge set up next to the memory unit would go off, ensuring what was gone remained beyond any chance of being brought back from the dead.

Clumsily, Mikael began walking down the stairs as fast as he could, while trying to keep from slipping and breaking his legs before his flight had begun.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ishmael went over to the still-active computer system as Bianca confirmed the kill. Not that he thought the overweight man was still alive. Energy blasts to his stomach and head had left holes in him that nothing human could survive, but every 'T' had to be crossed, and no one would accuse either of them of slacking off.

He sat down, and was delighted to see the system was active for use. He wouldn't even have to bother slicing in to find passwords.

Bianca walked over. "What do you have?"

Ishmael held up a warning finger. "Patience." He hooked his cyberjack from his neck and into the system and began to sift through the information. "Damn!"

"What?"

"This was only a relay point. Someone else was the actual slicer."

Bianca paled. "What do we do?"

"I have his real location. And his face." Ishmael pulled out his communication pad and hit a button. His call was answered immediately. "Perez. What's your current location?"

"Grid Five, Section Nine, Road Seven. I'll be there in less than five minutes."

"Negative. New locale and target." He transmitted the address and Mikael's picture.

"Received and understood. Will commence dusting upon confirmation of the target. Out."

The communicator went dead. Ishmael left it on the desk where it would be easily accessible. Then he looked to Bianca. "Don't waste time here. Back up Perez. I'll quarterback from here and see if there's anything useful I can dig up. I'll forward everything I find to you."

Bianca nodded in agreement and headed out as fast as she could, leaving the door open as she raced away.

xxxxxxxxxxx

The minutes it took Mikael to leave his building and walk to his hovercycle had been the longest in his life. It took ten times as long as it should have, though he was pleased to note that the more he walked, the easier he seemed to move. By the time he reached his bike, he thought he was almost back to normal.

The cycle was his second favorite, his first having been blown apart by a rocket courtesy of 'Castrated Kincaid', though the bitterness of losing his favorite had been blunted by the enjoyable time spent with Kei. A grin spread across his features as he remembered their bedroom antics. In fact, she was lingering in his mind a great deal more than any normal weekend stand should have. While she might not have been a professional, like many of the girls he had grown used to, she was unquestionably talented. And talking with her had been nice as well. He found himself wanting a chance to get to know her better, even if his mother had pretty much raised her like she had Mikael. It wasn't as though that meant anything to him. Kei had left his mother's guardianship before he was born. It wasn't like they were related, except maybe in his mother's mind. He hoped Kei didn't feel the way his mother did, though. That would make things awkward. Mikael wasn't anybody's little brother, and had no intention of becoming such, especially not to a hot number like Kei. She might have been older, but that just meant she had been around long enough to know what she wanted. He found it appealing, actually. There were a lot of things appealing about her.

He would be meeting her again soon enough. Mikael figured it would take him a half hour to get to the spaceport, buy a ticket, and take off. He'd settle for the nearest destination, then hop on a different ship, losing any pursuers. He might change a third time, just to be safe. Before long he would rendezvous with the women, then they could decide on their next course of action.

Mikael started the hovercycle. It didn't explode, which was a good sign. He really should have thought to check beforehand in case they had already located him and wanted his death to look like an accident. But they hadn't, and now he was leaving town before YSC's goons caught up.

Mikael started down the streets, taking the shortest way to the spaceport he could think of. He traveled slowly, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Even at this time of night, people traveled the streets of Myce, especially in the part of town he lived in. There was a great deal of nocturnal traffic, many of the denizens preferring to conduct their business when there were fewer people around. He wouldn't stand out in that respect. As far as anyone knew, he was a simply passing through, like so many others.

The journey strained Mikael's senses as paranoia gripped him. Every shadow contained a menace and every movement that caught his eye held death. His eyes were riveted to every person that he came across, no matter how inconspicuous they might appear. Twice he passed by other hovercyclists, giving them a wary eye, his attention making them do the same in return.

It was that tension that saved his life. A car turned a corner from ahead and on to his street. It was traveling fast, not that uncommon a sight. Despite that, Mikael was watching it intently when the vehicle suddenly accelerated and shifted slightly, bearing right toward him.

Mikael barely had time to react. He hit the drive selector, pushing the ventral thrusters to their maximum, and kicking the cycle up in the air. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to clear the roof of the car. The collision caved in part ofthe roof and shattered the front window, sending sharp slivers of glass toward the driver.

The edge of the car's roof caught the back end of the cycle, flipping it forward and driving the front end into the trunk lid. The impact smashed the prow, severing power couplings and transforming the cycle into a thousand pounds od dead weight, flipping end over end in a lazy forward somersault. Mikael kicked off, trying to get clear before it smashed him into the pavement. Despite his actions, the rear end of the spinning cycle nearly clipped him in the head before he sailed clear. It landed hard on its side, bits and pieces of the chassis buckling under the impact.

The cycle wasn't the only thing to hit the ground hard. Mikael, not being very athletic, landed poorly and one of his legs twisted back underneath him. A cry of pain slipped out, the agony driving away the last vestiges of the Pheryl.

The car suffered a similar, if less dramatic, fate. The impact, combined with the driver trying to shield his face from flying bits of jagged glass, sent the vehicle out of control. Its tires spun noisily as it screeched across the pavement, over the sidewalk, and rammed head-on into a wall, crumpling the vehicle. The impact jerked the driver forward, his head ramming into the steering wheel and nearly knocking him unconscious.

Slowly Mikael stood up, wincing as agony shot up through his knee. His pain threshold had never been high, and with the Pheryl purged from his system, he felt the entirety of the pain in all of its wondrous glory. It was a sprain, which was better than a broken knee, though not by much. A glance at the remains of his cycle showed yet another one of his favored toys would have to be put to rest as well. And that it wouldn't be providing him a means of escape.

The slicer turned to the wreckage of the car, hoping the driver had ended up as broken as the cycle. Again Mikael noted his luck was proving exceptionally bad tonight as he watched the driver starting to climb out of the shattered remnants of the window on his side. As his assailant pulled himself from the wreckage, Mikael noted that once the man was halfway out of the vehicle, exposed and physically unable to defend himself, it would have been an ideal time to shoot him. At least for someone who actually had a gun and could aim straight. Since Mikael was neither of those things, he was forced to flee and hope the driver's legs were in as bad a shape as his own.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Perez saw the young man limp out of sight down an alleyway sandwiched between two buildings. He went for his pistol, only to discover it had fallen out of his shoulder holster in the crash. As he pulled out his communicator, the motion igniting a fire in his chest and making him pause for a moment. Each breath felt like someone was sticking a knife into his lungs, but he ignored the pain as best as he could and stuck his head back in the car, trying to locate the firearm. For just a moment, his vision swam and he could barely remain upright. He knew he shouldn't have skimped on his car's safety features, but given his line of work, a car crash was the last way he thought he would die.

"Yes?" Ishmael's voice cut through the haze, rousing Perez from his grogginess.

Shaking his head clear, Perez said, "He's here on," he looked around until he spotted the nearest street marker. "Exetor between Fourth and Fifth. I am in pursuit, but am having problems." That was something of an understatement as his vision swam in and out again.

"What sort of problems?"

"I was in pursuit and collided with his cycle. I think I have a concussion, and my chest feels like an ape has been jumping up and down on it. And I lost my..." he trailed off as he spotted the sidearm lying on the floor, near the seat. "Nevermind. I have relocated my primary weapon. He's injured too. Limping badly, so he can't get far fast."

"Activate your field transmitter so Bianca can locate you."

Reluctantly, Perez did so. He didn't like giving off a signal that enabled anyone with a tracker, adjusted to the right frequency, could use to pinpoint his location. It was a touch irrational, since no one around there knew who he was or wanted him dead, but the need to maintain a low profile was deeply ingrained into his character thanks to his training.

For a moment, everything cleared, and Perez raced down the alleyway to catch up to the target. With any luck, he could waste the slicer and receive medical attention in the next hour.

Perez stopped in front of the alleyway and was surprised to spot his target at the far end. The alley wasn't that long. The slicer's injury must have been bad for him not to have already run the length of the alley. Slowly Perez raised his arm up and drew a bead on the youth. Mikael had been looking over his shoulder though, and seeing the gun leveled at him, ducked behind a dumpster just as a shot went sailing past where he had been a moment ago.

The dumpster was one of the heavy duty kind, built to have the trash superheated into ashes when the garbage people came up, Perez noted with distaste. It could withstand anything short of an explosive. He would have to close with the target, and that meant traveling up the length of the alleyway with no form of cover between him and the target. Of course, if the slicer was armed, he should have been returning fire by now.

The chance had to be taken. Risks were an integral part to Perez's line of work. He began walking down the alleyway, keeping the dumpster in his line of sight and his gun aimed at it as he offered to the slicer, "If you come out, I won't shoot you. You have information we need." A lie, of course. They wanted the information to die with him. Ishmael could discover if any had been leaked out, and they'd clean up any other messes this slicer might have left behind.

Perez's vision swam again. He staggered against the alley wall, muttering a curse under his breath.

It was at that moment Mikael chanced to poke his head around the corner and saw the man slumped against the wall, in obvious bad shape. For a moment, he considered charging the injured assassin, but then thought better of it. Distance, not confrontation, was what he wanted at this point. Hoping it wasn't an act to draw him out, Mikael left the cover of the dumpster and ran.

Perez saw the fleeing youth through the world that danced around him. He was able to orient himself enough to bring the gun up and snap off several shots, but none came close to hitting the slicer. Staggering like a drunkard, Perez made his way to the end of the alley, hoping the youth hadn't ducked out of sight. If he had, the odds of finding him again were slim.

As the assassin exited the alley, he spotted Mikael heading toward a large public building, long and flat with no other building near it. A train station! That was bad. If he got on one of those, he could go anywhere in the city, or if he took a direct express to another city, go to ground. It could take years to dig him up, and Perez's employers were not the patient sort.

A car pulled up next to him. Behind the wheel, he saw a woman he didn't recognize. Even with his head swimming, she was close enough to shoot, so he raised his gun. He was about to pull the trigger when she said, "It looks like it was hard to dust your chimney."

Perez holstered the gun. Then on a whim he activated his tracker and saw it beep in the direction of the woman. Confirming her identity, he informed her, "The target ran into the train station. We have to get him fast. I'm pretty beat, so it's probably going to be on your shoulders."

The woman cursed and activated her own communicator and informed Ishamael of the situation.

Ishmael said, "Wait a minute. I think I found something of interest here." There was a pause. "Yes, this guy sliced into most of the public service systems, including trains at that station. I don't have visuals, but I can track any purchases the target makes and where his destination will be."

"That'll have to do." She parked the car where it was and exited the vehicle, indicating Perez should follow as best as he could.

The pair headed for the train terminal, killing on their minds.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Mikael's mind was a blur as he tried thinking his way out of his predicament. The train terminal was crowded, as he thought it would be. In this area of town, many of the destitute and homeless tended to hang out in the environmentally-controlled public place. Technically it was illegal and the authorities were supposed to chase away any loiterers, but the actual enforcement of the law was in the more upscale places in the city. As long as they didn't cause problems or mess the place up too badly, they were unofficially allowed to stay.

They weren't the only ones present. The terminal was near a number of bars, and some patrons chose to sleep off the effects of their drink before heading home. Others really were travelers, taking the inexpensive late trains, while others still were arriving in the city for the same reasons.

Mikael considered the situation. He could contact the management personnel and inform them that a killer was on his way. They would contact the authorities and hopefully they would arrive in time. Doing that meant Mikael would have to explain everything, and the law didn't respond well to self-admitted slicers. Worse, since Smoothie's death was involved, it would keep Mikael under police supervision for weeks, and he needed to get his information to his mother and Kei immediately.

Mikael considered simply taking an express and getting the hell out of town, but he had problems with that. They had found him in the first place through Smoothie's computer, and Mikael knew he had sliced his way into the train system. Smoothie had once bragged that on a whim, he had randomized the ticket purchases of all the commuters so that they would get on the wrong train and end up anywhere but their destination. He had caused such chaos it had even made the evening news. Mikael could probably buy a ticket using one of his fake identities, but if they figured out where he was going anyway and got on the same train he did, he'd be cornered with no hope of escape.

He was still trying to decide the best course of action when a tall, somewhat attractive woman in a sedate dress, walked up to him. "Mikael, what a surprise to see you down here!"

The slicer recognized her immediately. Yoshiko Kumagara worked for Madame Fortuna as a 'talent scout', meaning she spent time hanging around bus and train terminals, keeping an eye open for young, attractive girls arriving from the more rural regions of Myce that were looking to move into the big city. Primarily she looked for runaways who had no idea of what they were doing and only arrived with the clothes on their backs. When Yoshiko spotted one, she would offer to help them before other less savory types got their hooks into them.

If they accepted, she would help them get a temporary roof over their head and access to basic necessities- all the while covertly evaluating them. If they met the Madame's criteria, Fortuna would offer them a potential job working for her. Even if they turned her down or didn't work out, she still saw to it they had a chance to get on their feet with a basic job and somewhere they could afford to stay. She had enough influence to secure them such things, and the girls that ended up settling in the city almost always felt indebted to her for helping them in their time of need, and they would go out of their way to help her if they could. It made her one of the most connected people in the city.

Mikael also didn't want to get her involved. Yoshiko might have been able to fend off the small fry that hung out in this section of town, but she wasn't up to dealing with a professional killer, injured or not. "You'd better leave me be," he warned.

Yoshiko examined him with a critical eye. "You're in trouble. I'd better contact the Madame. She'd have my tits if anything happened to you."

Mikael shook his head, keeping a close eye out for the man chasing him. "I don't want to get her involved. This isn't some small time street gang or pissed off boyfriend. I've got professionals on my tail, and they'll do anything to kill me."

"I'm going to help," Yoshiko said firmly.

Having lived the majority of his life around women, many of them strong-willed, had taught Mikael a rare talent most men didn't have: recognizing when they dug their heels and wouldn't back off. She wasn't going to leave him be, so that meant putting her in a situation of minimal risk. And as much as he hated to admit it, he could use her help.

It was then the first vestiges of a plan formed in his mind.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Perez and Bianca entered the terminal at the same time, eyes scanning every occupant in the place.

Bianca said, "You've seen him up close. You'll probably spot him before me."

Their communicators beeped. Bianca answered it while Perez kept looking around.

"He just bought a ticket for the express to Markotta," Ishmael informed them. "It leaves in three minutes. I'm buying tickets for you right now. Pick them up at the gate and hurry before he escapes."

Bianca grabbed Perez's arm and all but pulled him toward the gate. As they picked up their tickets, staying alert and looking around, Ishmael called again.

"The train's computer records his ticket as being punched and an occupant having boarded."

They both turned and looked around until they spotted the train in question. Bianca said, "It's in our line of sight. It's a smaller train with only one door to get on or off. There's no chance he can double back on us.

"But there is a chance it'll take off without us. One minute," Perez warned.

They pair picked up their tickets and ran to the express train, Perez nearly passing out on the way. Trying to keep him aware, Bianca said, "There are only four cars. We'll locate and corner him quickly. We'll escort him off the train in Markotta, then find some out-of-the-way place to kill him."

Perez could only grunt a response as tears welled in his eyes from the pain in his chest.

The pair made it just in time as the doors hissed shut behind them, locking them in for the ride. They boarded the train and moved to the passenger compartments. They were open seats, making it easy to see all of the occupants from one vantage point.

Seeing no sign of him, they moved through the first two cars almost at a run. It was easy to do since there were less than a dozen passengers per car. At the third car they paused, checked the lavatories, which were empty, and continued to the rear.

"He's not here!" Perez said as the train began to pull out of the terminal.

"Is there anywhere besides the lavatories he could have hidden?"

"I don't think so."

They heard a woman three seats in front of them snort, then cough. For just a moment, Perez thought she was laughing at them, then pushed the thought from his mind. They had to find the target.

"Shit!" Bianca cursed.

Perez looked at her, then realized she was looking out the rear window of the train as it left the station. Perez did the same as, impossibly, their target waved mockingly at them from the terminal.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Mikael knew he shouldn't do it, but he couldn't help himself. There really wasn't any risk involved. The express was automated, and once started wouldn't stop for anything other than obstructions or damage to the tracks. Any emergencies, and the passenger would just have to wait until they arrived at their destination. The waiver was right on the ticket about riding at one's own risk. He hoped their bosses at YSC were waiting to execute them when they arrived. Hell, another train was already arriving. Myce Central always bragged about their trains arriving on time, and it was that punctuality that had enabled him and Yoshiko to get him out of his situation.

They couldn't even blow out the windows given how fortified they were, unless they had explosives with them. And judging by how enraged the pair were, they knew they were finished, too. Mikael watched in amusement as one of them pulled out a communicator and began talking quickly in it. The woman babbled into it, and just as the pair reached the edge of his vision, their anger disappeared and they waved back. Happily.

That was odd. It could have been a gesture of respect, but he doubted it, especially given how angry they were moments before. He hoped they hadn't discovered Yoshiko's presence and were planning to use her as leverage against him. He hadn't been enthusiastic about including her in his plans, but he needed someone to physically board the train in order for his trick to work. There was no way they could figure out it was her on their own, and she was too smart to shoot her mouth off.

Mikael was still wondering what was going on when a voice directly behind him caught his attention. It was a man having a conversation, though the slicer could only hear one side of it. He turned to see the man was speaking into a communicator, obviously having just gotten off the recently arrived train. The conversation had caught Mikael's attention for some reason, but he couldn't quite put a finger on why.

Finally the man said, "Yes, he's standing right in front of me. You want to talk to him?" The response was apparently an affirmative, since the man handed Mikael the communicator.

Despite the sinking feeling in his gut, Mikael accepted it. "Yes?"

It was a woman's voice, "It's your friends who you just ditched on the train. Very clever."

Mikael knew he should hang up and run for it, but instinct told him it was too late for that. He really shouldn't have stuck around to taunt them that way.

She continued. "It was almost clever enough, but you must have the worst timing of anyone I have ever met. The gentleman behind you is named Vyory, though it's not his real name. He was the last member of the team assigned to kill you, but wasn't able to rendezvous with us since he was out of town... until now. It really sucks to be you. I know you can't see us, so I'll let you know we're waving good bye to you as well." The communicator went dead.

Mikael turned to see Vyory was standing several feet behind him, out of easy reach, but not so far that the slicer could somehow escape. A hand was in his pocket, and there seemed to be a pointed object in it, aimed right at Mikael.

The slicer's eyes darted around, trying to find some means of escape. He was about to give up hope when potential salvation entered the terminal. A couple of policemen were walking around, apparently on routine patrol, given their relaxed state.

Vyory spotted them at the same time. Unlike Mikael, he appeared unconcerned about their presence. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Calling out to them might inconvenience me, but it won't do you any good. I promise you'll be the first one I shoot if you cry out. Now why don't we leave the terminal and find a nice quiet out of the way place where we can talk?"

"You mean shoot me without anyone interfering," Mikael said bitterly.

"Maybe. But it'll keep you alive that much longer if we have to walk outside instead of me shooting you here and now. You're a smart boy. Maybe you'll be able to figure a way out of your predicament between here and there. I won't even make you walk fast. What do you say?"

The way the gun in the man's pocket shifted slightly meant he was preparing to shoot Mikael. There was no choice. He was more concerned with having a chance to save his own skin rather than taking this man down with him. The slicer headed toward the exit to the terminal, the man followed keeping a minimum safe distance between them, while not allowing anything to draw near enough to cut off the line of fire. Mikael took his time, hoping someone, anyone, might notice the suspicious nature of the man and interject themselves. But nothing happened, and they exited the terminal without incident.

"To the left," Vyory ordered, pulling the gun out and waving it in the direction of the closest side street. Apparently he wasn't going to waste any time, Mikael noted. Death was coming soon, and he couldn't think of a way out of it.

Mikael began to panic. He wasn't used to life and death situations like this. He was slicer with a love of fast cycles and women, not someone who could win a fight or dodge a laser pointed right at him. He was useless in situations like this.

They stopped halfway down the alley. The assassin made Mikael turn to face him, signaling this was the end of their journey.

Mikael made one last desperate pleas. "I have valuable things I can give you in exchange for my life."

The man shook his head. "Forget it, kid. I'm not a mercenary. I'm a professional."

There was a zip through the air, and the sound of an impact of a solid object striking something soft. Mikael was stunned to see a gout of blood shoot out from Vyory's throat, nearly splashing on him. In the blink of an eye, a hole appeared in Vyory's forehead as well. The man fell face-first to the ground, unmoving.

Mikael was still trying to figure out what had happened when a shadowy figure moved up from the mouth of the alleyway. A rough male voice said, "Sorry about the wait. I had to angle my shots so the wads didn't punch through him and hit you."

The figure stepped out of the shadows and into the dull light. He was old, probably in his late fifties, with a number of scars and more gray than black in his hair and triangular beard. His clothing was plain, though well worn. It was rumpled, as though he didn't care about his appearance, though the cat-like grace with which he moved said he took much greater care of the shape his body was in. In his hand he wielded a long barreled pistol, which Mikael recognized as a darter, an accurate weapon that was preferred for silent, messy kills.

The man ran a hand through his hair, the hunter's beads braided in them clicking together. "Geez, kid, you're as bad as your Mom about getting into trouble. And here I thought you had better sense than her."

"Fujikuro!" Mikael could have kissed the man, and would have, except that would have earned him a couple of wads in the head and throat as well.

The bounty hunter remained wary. "Any more of them around?"

"Two on an express train heading for Markotta. I think there's another one at Smoothie's place. I can give you directions."

The bounty hunter bent down and began rifling through the dead man's pockets. "This one was a pro. How'd you get mixed up with so many of them?"

"A favor for Mom."

Fujikuro looked at him incredulously. "She knows better than to put you in any real danger."

"It turned out it was way bigger than even she guessed," Mikael explained, which was the truth. Whenever Iria had Mikael help, it was always under the assumption he was never at risk. Had she known what she was really getting into, she'd have probably ordered him to go to ground and not surface until the matter had been put to rest. She would feel guilty enough once she found out how close he had come to being killed.

Fujikuro pulled out a small blinking cylinder. After examining it for a moment, he pulled out a small box-like device from one of his own pockets. He turned a dial on it, adjusting it several times, then smiled. "Great! They're wearing transmitters. It'll be easier to run them down with this. There's only one more in the area."

Once Mikael had a chance to calm down, he was able to think rationally. There were a few unexplained questions concerning Fujikuro. "How did you know I was in trouble?"

"A little bird told me. Geez, this guy had no cash on him. Wonder if I should try raiding his credit cards?" Fujikuro said mostly to himself.

It took Mikael a moment to figure out what had probably happened. Yoshiko had called Madame Fortuna, who had called Fujikuro in to help. "I bet you didn't charge the little bird for your services."

The bounty hunter scowled at him. "Yeah, I probably ought to bill you."

Since Madame Fortuna had gone out of her way to save his life, Mikael decided to return the favor. "You know, you ought to think about marrying her. She's definitely ready, and you're not getting any youn-" Mikael found having a pistol pointed at oneself was a definite conversation killer.

"I could always say I arrived too late," Fujikuro warned.

Mikael laughed nervously. Not that he thought the ornery bounty hunter would kill him. Wound maybe, but not kill.

Fujikuro finished inspecting the body and stood up, prepared to head toward the end of the alley. "I'd better take you to the 'Touch of Heaven' so you can hide. Then I'll finish off the rest of these guys."

Mikael shook his head. "Take me to the nearest spaceport."

"You really are as bad as your mother. I ain't a taxi service."

"Mom's in trouble. I have to get this information to her."

Fujikuro's shoulders slumped in defeat. Mikael noted that despite appearances, he must be getting soft. A couple of years ago, he would have feigned not caring about Iria's fate.

"You going to need me to go along?" the bounty hunter asked.

"No. Once I get there, Kei can inform the 3WA and put the matter in their hands."

That caused Fujikuro to tense up. "Kei? 'Little red-head just as reckless as Iria who grew up into one of the Dirty Pair,' Kei?"

The description of Kei irked Mikael. "Kei, the girl my mom knew, yeah. That one."

"If those two are back together, I doubt much will be left at ground zero wherever they go," Fujikuro mumbled under his breath. "Fine, I'll get you to the spaceport. I'd tell you to keep them out of trouble, but I ain't the type to wish for the moon. Just try to keep them alive."

"Deal. Now let's get going."

Mikael and Fujikuro headed for the nearest spaceport, Mikael counting the seconds. This time he would travel under an assumed name in order to get close enough to personally deliver the message to the women, then...

... then there'd be hell to pay.

Xxxxxxxx

End Chapter

Special thanks to Aondhfka David McMillan


	12. Chapter 12

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot Chapter 12

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Standard Disclaimer: Dirty Pair created by Hideki Sonoda and Haruka Takachiho. Iria: Zeiram belongs to Crowd, Bandai Visual, Mitsubishi Corp., Banpresto and US Manga Corps.

I don't own the right to any of the Dirty Pair or Iria: Zeiram, the Animation characters.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Cloudless skies allowed sunlight to shine down unimpeded upon scantily clad, oiled bodies that gleamed under the bright orb's rays. The scent of chlorinated water permeated everything, and the sound of local fauna, and in some cases flora, filled the air.

"This feels so good," Yuri cooed.

"Got that right," Kei said, not bothering to look over at her partner as she lay on her back, allowing the sun to bombard her flesh with untamed ultraviolet radiation, turning her skin an even darker shade. While UV treatment centers were considered more time efficient, there was no substitute for gaining a tan the natural way.

Even Muhgi yawned in approval, curled up in a ball and enjoying the sun, despite being covered in nearly an inch of fur. The girls liked to call him a warm weather cat, and he would have been inclined to agree.

Lounging on her stomach, Yuri sighed in enjoyment. Waiting above the pleasure moon of Xyphos 13 turned out to have an upside after all. It was ridiculous for them to wait in the shot-up Lovely Angel when there was a resort complex with their name on it waiting on the surface. Best of all, they could have the 3WA pay for it since they were currently on a mission tracking down Zeiram.

Yuri congratulated herself for being the genius to come up with the idea of renting a room in one of the hotels and luxuriating in some of the vices the moon had to offer. In this case they rented a private pool area right off the hotel and were currently hard at work deepening their tans. Yuri was dressed in a tasteful yellow one piece, while Kei, displaying her usual lack of restraint, was decked out in a tiny two piece blue bikini. Or most of one, since she was currently topless as she soaked up the sun's rays.

Officially, that was why they had wanted a private pool, to afford them some measure of modesty for lounging about topless. In reality, Kei had insisted (and Yuri agreed) that some distance between them and Killgore's men was a good idea.

Within a half hour of their arrival, a trio of the mercenaries, including the Samisdat assassin, Cross, had followed them down to the surface. Supposedly, the men were due for some RR of their own, though it was obvious that at least one of them was hovering near the pair at all times, trying to look inconspicuous. While they did a good job to the casual observer, it was obvious their real purpose was to stay close to the pair. While the private area Yuri and Kei had rented was surrounded by a high wall on all sides, it was only fifteen meters away from the hotel's public pool area, where Cross and his men frequently hung out. Even a rookie fresh out of the academy could divine the true purpose of the men. That put both of the Angels on edge, but especially Kei, who had grown as wary of the mercenaries as Iria since her return from Myce. While Yuri wasn't that paranoid, she didn't like having someone keep tabs on her either.

At least there wasn't any risk of the mercenaries being armed. Weapons were strictly prohibited on Xyphos 13. Extensive searches of every single item leaving a ship were performed by a number of people using some of the most expensive detection equipment in the galaxy. Anyone protesting the treatment to any degree had to leave the planet immediately. The search was so thorough Yuri was forced to leave her bloody card behind.

Yawning, Kei sat up, raising her arms above her head and stretching out like a cat. Instead of lying back down, she picked up the wristband comlink Iria had given her and spoke into it, "Hey, Bob, any change up there?"

"Nothing. Everything is still the same. No one has left the Destiny since Cross followed you down."

Yuri listened to the brief report. Some sort of interference had prevented Bob from transmitting his electronic presence over the distance between where his intelligence was stored on the Creeper V and Iria's location a system away. Forced to wait in silence above the moon, Kei asked him to keep them alerted to anything happening in orbit where the 'Destiny' was located. So far there had been no suspicious activity, not that Yuri thought there would be. It was unlikely Killgore would want there to be any major action undertaken without him being present. Still, being unnecessarily cautious was better than being unnecessarily dead.

Kei picked up her top and began tying it on. "I'm thirsty. Want anything from the bar?"

"No thanks. And try not to get too loaded," Yuri teased.

Kei turned around long enough to make sure Yuri saw her stick her tongue out before opening the door from their private area and beginning the trek to the bar next to the pool. As she entered the pool area, she noticed a couple of Killgore's mercenaries lounging about. Kei didn't know the name of the shorter, stockier of the pair, but Cross had become painfully familiar as a near permanent attachment to Killgore. He was dressed in a pair of skintight trunks that showed he had nothing to be ashamed of in the equipment department. He was a touch lean, but all muscle, not surprising given his profession. There was a healing patch taped to his side, helping with the deep wound he had sustained in their last battle with Zeiram and the chaos at Holcomb. He wore a pair of sunglasses, which hid his eyes completely. That made Kei wary. She was certain that, despite his face being pointed away from her, he was watching her intently.

There was nothing Kei could do about their presence, and in many ways it was better to have them nearby. If they were out in the open, she could see if they were planning to move against her and Yuri. The third member of the party hadn't been seen since shortly after they landed. That was the one that concerned Kei. If they were going for around-the-clock surveillance on her and Yuri, he might be resting in his room for a night stakeout. She would have given a lot to know where he was now and what he was up to.

Kei pushed the concern from her mind. There was no way she could go hunting for him. While the single tourist area of the verdant pleasure moon was entirely contained in a two-hundred kilometer radius, there were small outposts spread all over the moon where he might have traveled to. Kei was here to relax, trying to unwind before everything hit the fan, which would be soon, if her instincts were accurate. Iria was going to turn up something, she just knew it. It was only a matter of time.

Arriving at the nearly empty outdoor bar, Kei sat at a stool, enjoying the shade. Weather control meant the skies were cloudless during the day and while the sun was pleasurable, the heat was unrelenting. A little break to cool off, since she wasn't in the mood to swim (and her bikini was designed for displaying her wares rather than functionality), meant taking shelter from the sun.

As Kei considered what to order, her mind drifted back to the last time she had been in a bar, and the... vigorous events that had followed. It was hard keeping Mikael out of her mind. As hard as she tried to think of him as Iria's son and theoretically off limits, it didn't work in the slightest. Even if she did see Iria as something of a mother figure, the idea of Mikael being a brother just didn't work. Maybe if she had known of their pseudo-relationship going in it would have been different, but it was too late now. Mikael ended up defined as 'hot boyfriend material' in Kei's mind, and nothing could change it. Not that she had to. It wasn't like they were related, regardless of Yuri's constant 'incest' comments that she felt compelled to make every hour. Yuri was just jealous because she hadn't found a good man yet.

Kei was so fixated on Mikael that even the guy eyeing her at the end of the bar reminded her of him. It was probably because he had a similar build, was about the same age, and had... the exact same face?

Kei stared an amazement. It was Mikael! What in the hell was he doing here? If he had found any information, he should have transmitted it to them. Or maybe he hadn't found any and it was a social call. Perhaps he couldn't stand being apart from Kei and had become infatuated with her. That made sense. They could go back to Kei's room and talk about things, if that was the case. She made a mental note to tell Yuri not to come back to the room for the next five hours. That would give them plenty of time to reacquaint themselves.

Before Kei could say a word in greeting, Mikael unleashed that rakish smile of his and stood up, walking toward her in a way that told everyone he was man on a hunt for a woman, and had just found one. Kei looked at him coyly, remaining seated as he approached her.

"Hey there, sexy lady," Mikael said.

A bit crass, Kei thought, but it wasn't like he needed a decent pick up line with her. "Hello there, yourself," she purred seductively.

He bent forward slightly. "I know we've never met before, but I just have to say I can't help but feel we belong together."

"Huh?" Kei said, wondering what sort of game he was playing.

"I see I've rendered you speechless. That's all right. Deep conversation isn't what either of us want." He bent down, placed one hand behind her head, and forced her forward into a kiss. As he rammed his tongue down her throat, he slid one hand into her bikini top and groped her breast.

The result was instantaneous as Kei shoved him backward, escaping his grasp. She shot to her feet. Nearly faster than the eye could follow, she slapped him hard enough to draw the attention of everyone in the pool area. "What do you think you're doing?!" she shouted.

His interest switched to disdain. "I should have know. Just a frigid little dicktease." He turned and walked away.

Kei was left in a near apoplexy. How could he have done that to her? And in front of everyone. And he called her a frigid bitch because she didn't care to be handled like a piece of meat in public? How could he have changed so much in so short a time? It made no sense.

Kei was debating whether to pursue him and beat an explanation out of him when she adjusted her bikini top so it was resting more comfortably against her chest. It was then she felt a cold piece of metal nestled between fabric and flesh.

It was at that moment that Yuri appeared, having changed her mind about the drink and witnessing everything that had transpired at a distance. She hurried to Kei's side. "Wasn't that-?"

Kei shouted, "I hate it when complete strangers come up and grope me like that! Do I have 'wanton slut' tattooed on my ass or something?!"

The diatribe killed the questions Yuri was going to ask. She was caught off-guard so badly that she ignored the perfect setup Kei had given her with the tattoo line. Apparently it hadn't been Mikael after all, just some guy that looked a lot like him. While Yuri had never met the guy, she could have sworn the hologram was identical to the man that had just made a pass at her partner.

"I need to freshen up." Kei snared Yuri by the wrist and hauled her in the direction of the hotel.

"Why do I have to go with you?" Yuri protested as she found Kei's grip bordering on discomfort.

Kei didn't pause in her walk. "Because I'm flustered and need you to help me compose myself."

"That would be a first," Yuri griped as she was dragged into the building.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Mikael walked away from the bar, satisfied with the way the things had turned out and that Kei understood what had happened. It had been risky, but it was the only way he could think of to make contact without arousing the suspicion of anyone watching him or them.

As he made his way through the hotel, wondering how to meet Kei a second time, an effeminate, but decidedly male voice, teased, "You know, you really shouldn't waste your time with loose women like that. It never leads to any good. You should try something different."

The slicer turned to see the speaker was a man that was just as tall as him, with an odd patch taped to his side. His head was tilted so that he could peer at Mikael from above his glasses. It was fairly obvious from his body posture and the tone of the statement what the guy was interested in. Mikael used a similar one when picking up women.

"Sorry, but I like collecting loose women. It's a hobby of mine." Mikael turned and doubled his speed as he walked away from the man.

Cross pouted in disapproval, his eyes following Mikael's bottom as the slicer all but ran out of sight. "Such a waste," he clucked.

Valen, his teammate that had been waiting with him at the pool, walked up, having overheard the conversation. "You got shot down."

Cross shrugged helplessly. "Happens to the best of us."

"I thought you had the hots for the boss," Valen pointed out.

"He's not here and I do need something to keep me entertained." Cross looked winsomely in the direction Mikael had left. "Such a loss. He had a cute smile. It reminded me of Killgore's." He shrugged helplessly again, then switched his attention to the direction the Dirty Pair had taken. "Follow them. See where they go and report any suspicious activity to me."

Valen did so, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible as he headed in the direction of the women's restroom.

Cross was considering what to do next when the third member of his party, Vanderdecken, appeared, smiling broadly. "Yes?" Cross asked.

"I found that old friend of mine who set up his base of operations here. I called in a few favors and dropped a few credits in his lap, and he gave me the item." Vanderdecken patted a slight bulge tucked in the waistband of his shorts, one mostly hidden by the loose shirt he wore.

Cross was impressed. When Vanderdecken claimed he could get his hands on a gun, Cross had been doubtful. "How did he get it through customs?"

"He didn't. It's homemade," Vanderdecken explained. "He used to be an armorer. It did cost me a lot of money to get it. The boss will cover me for the expense, right?"

"Of course," Cross assured him. The gun really had been for the others' benefit. It wasn't like a Samisdat needed a weapon to kill someone. Of course, weapons tended to make things easier, and he had managed to smuggle one past customs. He hadn't needed to, but he rather liked the item, and it was a matter of pride that he could slip it past such cautious guards so easily. He had to keep his touch, after all.

Something was going to happen, twenty years of assassinations made him feel it down to his bones. And when things went down the way he suspected, and hoped, he would be prepared.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What's this all about?" Yuri complained.

After Kei 'composed' herself, she made Yuri throw on a pair of shorts over her swimsuit, then dragged her to the hotel's public access computer systems. Inside there were at least a hundred terminals at various stations spread throughout the large room.

"Where are the stand-alone systems?" Kei asked.

"Over there," Yuri pointed to where a small number of terminals stood off on their own. Some people preferred strict privacy, and distrusted anything linked to an outside system. Supposedly the stand-alone machines would automatically wipe their memory clean after the hotel guest stopped using them to ensure that privacy. The real question was why Kei wanted one. She got along with computers about as well as she did with chastity.

Kei used her room card to activate the machine. Within seconds the screen flashed that it was ready for use.

"Well?" Yuri tapped her foot impatiently.

Reaching under her shirt, Kei withdrew the small datachip from its hiding place in her top. "A gift from a friend," she explained as she entered the chip into the proper slot.

Now Yuri understood what had happened. That had been Mikael down there and he had executed a drop on them. The only question was why he was being so secretive and hadn't simply transmitted the data to them from Myce. Yuri found she didn't care for the answer that immediately sprang to mind.

The pair looked at the screen as a question came up. "What weapon belonging to Gren did Zeiram steal from Mom's house?"

A password. Yuri looked at Kei, who typed in "Borobdin."

"Are you sure you spelled that right?" Yuri asked.

"Yes," Kei shot back, and entered the answer.

A directory appeared, one having a single file. Kei punched it up. Information automatically began flashing across the screen. Kei and Yuri began reading the text.

And then their eyes goggled. Neither could look away from the screen. It took them the better part of half an hour to understand the true depths of what Mikael had stumbled upon. It was everything Iria had suspected, and far, far more.

As with most successful lies, Killgore had told them enough truth to make the lies believable. The information about Zeiram was the easiest to understand. After the original Zeiram debacle on Myce, Tedan Tippedai secured organic samples of the original Zeiram that had been left over from his fight with Iria on top of the transmission tower. Their hope had been that eventually the bad press would blow over and they could reactivate the project again (as though they hadn't already been burned badly enough by Zeiram already). However, unable to deal with the fallout of their actions, the company went bankrupt.

While the Tormend Confederation were the ones that had bought out Tedan Tippedai and subsequently acquired the cell samples of Zeiram that had been kept in cold storage, the cells had gone missing within days of acquiring them. YSC knew this because they were the ones who had stolen the samples with the intention of controlling Zeiram and selling off duplicates as a powerful strategic weapon. Yuri had to admit, one Zeiram was bad enough, a small army of them would be impossible to stop with anything but large scale conventional weapons.

While Anton Scorphious had indeed been the head of the Zeiram project, he had been working for YSC at the time, not TC. His job was to create a control unit for Zeiram so that it could be properly utilized outside a laboratory environment. Officially the research was listed as being a miserable failure. In hindsight, it had become obvious that Anton had successfully found a way to control Zeiram and kept the truth from his brother by faking his death. When Anton decided he was ready, he returned, using the control unit to retrieve Zeiram and began utilizing him to destroy every holding of YSC's he could find.

YSC had tried to stop Anton surreptitiously. They were responsible for sending out the mercenary team (one of a dozen kept on retainer) that tried to kill Zeiram when he killed everybody aboard the space station that the Angels had stumbled upon. The team lacked the experience and firepower to deal with the monster, and were eradicated, save for the half-crazed member that Kei had been forced to kill. Later, YSC had sent the assassin that tried to kill them at the library when they had started investigating Zeiram, YSC's information net red-flagging their inquiries and ensuring the Angels were monitored closely from that moment on. They had sent a mercenary team to Omicron 4, where Zeiram had been reconstructed and experimented upon. YSC had been so desperate to keep the knowledge that they were responsible for Zeiram's reconstruction secret, they had all of their on site personnel killed by the mercenaries, rather than risk a leak occurring or any evidence remaining behind.

Killgore's team had been dispatched to clean up the failed strikes against Zeiram. They had set the space station to self destruct, making it look like an accident rather than an incident. They had blown up several of the isolated operations that had also been hit by Zeiram, like the one on Sarvgon, again making it look like it was something other than Zeiram that had destroyed them. They only stopped when Zeiram began outracing them, and they started working with the Angels and Iria in an effort to bring Zeiram down.

As if that wasn't bad enough, during a strike on a YSC liner, Anton stumbled upon plans for a super weapon, dubbed Argus, during one of his attacks. According to the reports, it was a liquid that was capable of disrupting the molten core of any planet, destabilizing it so badly that the core would expand outward violently, then explode, reducing the entire planet into giant asteroids. The only real limiting effect of the liquid was that it was ineffective on the surface. It would need to be detonated a minimum of seven kilometers below the surface before it would become active and begin merging with the planet itself. YSC overcame that problem with a special delivery system made of literium alloy spheres that were designed to be fired from mass drivers.

Mass drivers were originally designed as a cheap alternative to missiles when besieging a planet from orbit. They were intended to fire large chunks of debris at a high velocity to the planet's surface. While the projectiles wouldn't have evasion systems like missiles would, sheer numbers could overwhelm a planet's defenses, and the destruction would be incredible. Ideally, if an asteroid belt was located nearby, one would have an unlimited supply of ammunition to use.

But the idea never caught on in the military sectors, the weapon's ammunition being too easy to hit to be regarded as useful. An alternative use for the mass drivers was discovered in that they were ideal for moving large objects in a zero gravity environment long distances with a minimum of energy. Their most common application was shooting mineral-rich asteroids toward spaceborne mineral processors, or into a planet's orbit instead of using the more expensive option of towing all of them to a specific area.

However, the power of a mass driver was sufficient to fire Argus deep enough into a planet's crust to trigger the liquid's effect. Worse, mass drivers were compact enough that they could be fired from a small freighter, with a few modifications. They could even be fired from the upper atmosphere and enter the planet deep enough to make the liquid effective. Penetration, rather than widescale damage, was what the projectiles were designed for. While the projectiles would be easy to shoot down, one had to be aware of their presence first. With the retrieval of the chemicals at Holcomb Complex, all that was needed now was a mass driver, and Anton would have a highly compact mobile weapon system capable of destroying an entire planet. True, he only had enough liquid to destroy nine planets, but that was still nine planets. Even the pair had only managed three, and Eden had a very small population. Not that any of the incidents were their fault in the first place. Given his hated of YSC, Anton would undoubtedly target the many headquarters the company had stationed on densely populated planets.

And that wasn't even the worst part.

During Mikael's journey into the heart of YSC's computer systems, he had probed deeper than anyone had before, and lived to tell about it. He had discovered YSC's deepest, darkest secret that had been kept so quiet, no one even had the faintest inkling it existed.

While YSC was so vast it had businesses in just about every field imaginable, from their earliest days to the present their primary product, which accounted for nearly a quarter of the company's profits, was in communication satellites. In every one of YSC's satellites there was eavesdropping software that allowed them to monitor every single bit of information that was sent through them. It was a magnificent piece of work, one that could only have been assembled by a collection of the most brilliant minds in the fields of communication and programming. No one had discovered the equipment yet because it was broken up into four different parts spread throughout the satellite. Individually none of the software or hardware appeared to be anything other than redundant systems to ensure the satellite functioned properly, and they did serve those purposes. Combined, there was nothing sent into the satellite that couldn't be duplicated and forwarded to one of the many secret relay points YSC had throughout the galaxy. Likewise the control over the information was so absolute they could prevent any messages from being forwarded to its proper source, or altered so that what was sent out was not the same things that were received.

That in itself was bad enough, but it was even worse than it sounded on the surface. YSC accounted for sixty-three percent of the communications satellites deployed throughout the galaxy. Two other major companies, Axion and McCord Heavy Industry, accounted for another fifteen and nine percent respectively, with the remainder produced by a number of smaller corporations, usually restricted to a small area of influence near their bases of operation.

For years YSC had secretly recruited and trained people extensively for the purpose of industrial espionage and assassination. While they hardly had a monopoly on such -every planet in the galaxy had people that chose either or both for a career-it was the numbers YSC dealt with that were truly astounding. They had trained and inserted over four thousand people in strategic companies and locations spread across the galaxy.

Even the agents themselves had no idea how many there were, or who they really reported to. They were trained in squads of about a dozen members, and were led to believe that only a handful of agents outside of themselves existed. They were never even told who received their information, only that they were paid well for it. YSC was so meticulous that the training personnel were never contracted to instruct more than a hundred people before they were informed that that was all the agents that needed training, and they were sent on their way. Less than two dozen people, including Slapatcha Scorphious and Springer, knew the full extent of their espionage resources.

Using those spies and moles, in combination with the information-gathering abilities of the satellites, allowed YSC to learn the dirty little secrets the heads of their rival companies never wanted the galaxy to know. YSC covertly blackmailed the heads of Axion and outright bought the loyalty of the president of MHI by including him in the information network. In the case of Axion, YSC was so secretive that each board member that was being blackmailed had no idea several of their compatriots were in similar situations, thereby isolating them and preventing them from working together to elude the snare they had fallen into. Moreover, each individual was only required to do small tasks. Separately they wouldn't even make sense to the individuals. It was only when all of the adjustments were taken as a whole that anyone would have noticed YSC had manipulated Axion into planting the same surveillance equipment in their satellites as there were in YSC's. And that the information was being sent to YSC as well.

Between that, and several of the smaller communication corporations that had fallen to the same tactics, YSC had total control of ninety-three percent of the interstellar communications network. They knew everything that happened anywhere and at any time. And they acted on it. According to the data Mikael had gathered, they had used the information to commit every crime there was from blackmail to murder. They had manipulated corporations and governments to do their bidding, even controlling entire economies, all to YSC's benefit. There were even plans to try to limit the effectiveness of the 3WA, if not eliminate it altogether.

It was by far the largest conspiracy the galaxy had ever seen.

"So that's how they prevented us from sending the information to headquarters, and why people and fighters kept coming out of the woodwork after us," Yuri said as they finished reading the information. "My god, I can't believe they've managed to do all of this."

"Information is a universal commodity. It's more reliable than any currency out there," Kei said in an unusually philosophical moment.

"You were right about Killgore, too," Yuri admitted. "Sorry for doubting you and Iria."

"Now we have to figure out what to do." Kei grabbed the data chip from the terminal and placed it back in her bikini top. "We have to get in touch with Iria somehow, and it'll have to be in person, since we can't trust communications. We try sending what we just found out to her, and YSC will know we know, and kill us before we can get off the planet."

"If we leave right now, Cross and company will get suspicious," Yuri pointed out. "Especially since I saw one of the guys spying on us while we were in here."

Kei considered that. "We'll keep playing tourist for a couple more hours, then claim we have to go back to the Lovely Angel and update the 3WA on what's been happening. They know our transmissions will never get there anyway, so it won't worry them."

"Sounds like a plan," Yuri said. "I'll go back out at poolside."

"And I'll wander around the hotel. Maybe hit the steam bath or something."

"See you later," Yuri said, acting casual while feeling the exact opposite. Once they made it back to the Lovely Angel, and didn't have to worry about people spying on them, they were going to have to figure a way to get Iria and themselves back to 3WA headquarters to report to them in person. This was way bigger than Zeiram. Possibly bigger than any case Yuri had been involved in. If only Iria hadn't already left, they could have cooked up some excuse to split up with Killgore and then gone on their own way. As it was, Yuri wasn't sure what they could do to rendezvous with Iria while giving Killgore and company the slip.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Valen returned to Cross' side.

"So?" Cross asked.

"They spent about a half hour on a computer reading over something, then left. The dark-haired one went back to their little private getaway, and the redhead started wandering around. Vanderdecken is watching her now."

"Curious." Cross made a mental note to see if the women had tried to communicate with anyone in some way. He didn't trust them, not one little bit. He'd have done away with them the first time they met if Killgore would have let him. They were too dangerous to keep around, especially that loose cannon bounty hunter. Killgore was playing with fire, and it was going to come back and burn them if they weren't careful. Cross was tempted to do away with them anyway, even if it meant raising Killgore's ire. But he seemed attached to his ex-wife in a way he never had with any other woman. It was frustrating. While Killgore could be emotional at times, he was always professional when it came to business. While his commander had valid reasons for keeping Iria and the Pair around, Cross couldn't help feeling there was more to it than that.

The assassin was wondering what to do next when his wrist communicator beeped. He saw it was an incoming message from the 'Destiny'. With any luck, it would be Killgore telling them to come to Danube. "Report."

"We just got an A-1 priority message from YSC headquarters. Since the boss ain't here, I'm supposed to forward it to you."

"Transmit." Cross activated the hologram on his communicator and began reading the information. It was a message regarding the elimination of a slicer that had purloined a great deal of highly classified information from YSC. A price tag of fifty million credits for his death made even Cross impressed. The slicer must have stolen something serious to have earned that kind of kill fee. That high a price was reserved for only the most difficult of hits, usually for interplanetary government or military officials. If it had been a public hit instead of a YSC 'in-house' one, half the Samisdat in the galaxy would be trying to hunt the slicer down.

Cross was imagining what he would do with that kind of money when he received the picture of the slicer.

"Shit!" he cursed. He stopped reading and reopened a line to the Destiny. "Listen to me. The target has made contact with the Dirty Pair, and the information has been compromised. You will immediately leave orbit. If anyone questions you, claim you have to send a deep space transmission to Killgore and planetary radiation is effecting our equipment. You will undergo reconfiguration and return from a different vector an hour later. If either I or the others do not contact you upon your return, destroy the Lovely Angel and the Creeper. Then use Neutron 2F weaponry to level this entire area. Leave a message claiming you're from the Naturists and this is a blow of floral freedom. They've wanted Xyphos 13 returned to its original condition and that all humans should be off planet. They've made threats about blowing things up here before. That should work. Afterward contact Killgore and tell him everything that happened."

The officer said, "If we hit the area with a 2F Neutron , it'll kill you."

"If we don't contact you, it'll mean we're already dead. Cross out." He looked to Valen. "You and Vanderdecken eliminate Kei. I'll take Yuri, then deal with the slicer."

"He's the one the that's got the price tag," Valen pointed out.

"He's the least dangerous at this point. And this is a Tangerine Mission. Eliminate the target at all costs. I don't care who else you have to kill, just do it."

Valen shook his head sadly. "What a waste. Both of them are nice pieces of ass."

"They're a pestilence to the universe that have left an untold body count in their wake. Remember that when you're thinking of what you'd like to do to them."

"Good point," Valen admitted, his face tightening as he slipped into a more professional mood. He called Vanderdecken to get Kei's current location.

Xxxxxxxxx

It took only minutes for Valen to arrive at Vanderdecken's position. He was lounging about around a corner, able to see around it courtesy of a full length mirror on a nearby wall. He was trying to appear casual as he flipped through an old-style newspaper, old because it actually used paper made from trees. While feigning interest in the local sports scene, Vanderdecken stole glances in the mirror, which reflected the entryway to the hotel's sauna.

"Status?" Valen asked, his earlier reluctance at killing the pair gone, replaced by a consummate professional.

Vanderdecken pointed at something in the paper. "She's in there. I was tempted to follow her and relax in the sauna too, you know. They're co-ed, and no clothing's allowed. Just towels."

"Be thankful you weren't." Valen informed him of what had happened.

"I can just shoot her when she comes out." Vanderdecken patted the slight bulge in his waistband.

"I'd prefer doing it quietly, and being able to make it look like an accident afterwards." He looked around the area. Neither staff nor guests were present, and there were no signs of security cameras around. "I can take her hand-to-hand. I'll walk up casually, saying there's a message we just got from the bounty hunter. That should make her drop her guard to let me get close enough for a quick kill. Maybe a broken neck. We'll roll her down some stairs afterwards. I doubt anyone will look too close."

"Good plan. I'll be backup." Vanderdecken pulled out his gun and hid it within the pages of the newspaper.

"Here she comes," Valen hissed as he moved around the corner and waved to Kei, attracting her attention.

Vanderdecken was riveted to what was happening in the mirror. He kept his finger poised on the trigger of his gun, ready to spin around the corner and shoot at a moment's notice. There wasn't a chance the 3WA agent would survive.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Mikael was trying to blend in with the rest of the tourists as he strolled randomly through the hotel. While the information drop to Kei had been executed to perfection, he was at something of a loss for what to do next. All of his planning had gone into the drop, not what happened afterwards. He should have thought to secure a hotel room and leave its number on the disc so Kei could pick him up.

Mikael was still wondering what to do when luck was with him. He saw Kei emerge from the sauna area, a skimpy red bathrobe draped around her. He was about to wave at her when a short, bulky man did the same. Mikael changed the wave to an itch at his nose and pretended to go down a side corridor. He stopped, peeking around the edge to see what was happening with Kei and wondering who the man approaching her was.

It was then Mikael spotted a second man hidden around the corner nearest to Kei, watching a mirror intently, despite having a newspaper in hand. It took Mikael a second to realize given the man's positioning he was probably eavesdropping on Kei and the stocky man. Suspicions aroused, Mikael watched the newspaper man closely. That was how he saw what was unmistakably the barrel of a small handgun poke out from the folds of newspaper the man was carrying.

Lacking a weapon of his own, Mikael grabbed the nearest thing he could use as one: a small end table that was decorated with a vase that held a number of brightly colored flowers poking out of the top. Moving as fast as he dared without making a noise, the slicer took the vase off and set it down on the floor. He picked up the end table, delighted at the lightweight metal it was composed of. While it was hard, it couldn't weigh more than five pounds. It was the best he could do, given the situation. Taking a deep breath, he darted around the corner.

Xxxxxxxxx

Kei was calculating the time remaining before she and Yuri should try to return to the ship when one of Killgore's spies approached, waving his hand to get her attention. Having confirmation rather than mere suspicions that the mercenaries were up to no good, Kei appeared casual while readying for a fight. "Yes?"

The man continued approaching at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too cautious. "We just got a message from Iria, she said-"

Kei wasn't really paying so much attention to the man's words as his body language. While he sounded as casual as Kei outwardly appeared, there was too much tension to his walk. To Kei's trained eye, she quickly realized he was gauging the distance between them and approaching from a hostile angle rather than a conversational one.

With the distance between them closed, Kei took a chance and lashed out with an upraised palm strike, aiming for the man's jaw. His own pre-planned attack was just a fraction behind hers as he tried lashing out at her throat. Finding himself the one being attacked as well, and that Kei had beaten him to the punch, he switched from offense to defense and changed from throwing a punch into a wide arm sweep. He barely managed to deflect the blow. He was immediately put on the defensive as Kei continued lashing out with a number of fists and elbows. Valen proved himself a talented hand-to-hand combatant as he successfully protected his vitals and deflected or evaded her strikes, though he was unable to launch any counterstrikes.

Kei thought she saw an opening in his defense when a flash of movement from a nearby corner caught her eye. For just a moment, she saw another one of Killgore's men taking aim at her with a gun. Suddenly, an end table came in a hard swing, connecting with the man's head and sending him to the ground.

A loud cheer of "Ha! I finally won a fight!" reached Kei's ears.

Kei recognized Mikael's voice and hesitated. That was all her opponent needed as he slipped under her guard and grabbed her by the waist, tackling her hard to the ground and knocking some of the wind out of her.

He rose up on his knees, luckily inside Kei's legs rather than around her waist, where his weight would have pinned her down. His right hand rose high in the air and came flying down, aimed at Kei's head. She barely moved her head to the side in time to prevent him from punching her right in the face. Instead it hit the hard stone of the floor with the dull sound of flesh hitting an unmoving object.

"Don't worry, I'll help you!" came Mikael's voice.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kei spotted Mikael pick up the second attacker's gun and aim it at the man on top of her.

The first bolt hit the wall a good two meters away from either of them. Kei assumed it was a warning shot, but then a second hit the floor mere centimeters from her face. It was then his warning about his shooting skills came back to Kei.

"Quit trying to help me! You're more dangerous than the guy trying to kill me!" she shouted.

Mikael lowered the gun.

Despite missing, the bolts had made Valen flinch, keeping him from pressing his attack. When it became obvious Mikael was more likely to shoot himself than either of the fighters, he switched his full attention back to Kei and pressed his advantage once more.

Rather than let her continue moving her head, (causing the painful side effect of making Valen hit the unyielding floor hard enough to nearly break his hand) his other hand shot out and snared Kei by the neck. Preventing her from moving out of the way, he raised his arm up a second time, intent on caving in her skull.

As Valen drew back his fist, he rose up slightly so that he could get more force behind the blow. In doing so, he increased the distance between his body and Kei's. In an amazing display of contortion and flexibility, Kei managed to bring her legs up into her chest, then lashed out with them. Rather than kicking Valen in the face, she wrapped her legs around him, getting his neck between her knees and locking her ankles behind his head.

Valen realized the danger he was in as her powerful legs began squeezing. He released his hold on her neck, but Kei was quick to react by immobilizing the limb using both her hands on his wrist and locking it into place. Unable to do anything of consequence with his free arm, Valen tried rolling away, hoping to work his way free, but Kei's leglock remained firm, the pressure increasing.

Valen thought he felt her body shift to the right, and started to move with it in the hopes he could use the momentum to free himself, when she switched directions and pulled the other way. With his body going one way and her legs the other, his vertebrae snapped with an audible crack.

Hearing the crack and seeing her foe's head twisted at an angle not conductive to life, Kei let out a loud gasp of air and allowed the body to fall limply to the floor. She released her legs and lay flat on back, gasping and heaving to catch her breath.

"You know, seeing a sight like that is almost worth dying for," Mikael said as he approached her.

Kei wondered what he was talking about until she realized that in the course of the struggle, the tie on her robe had loosened. When she wrapped her legs around Valen's neck, her robe had fallen free from her waist, leaving her nude save for her arms, which were still in the robe's sleeves.

Given her previous encounter with Mikael, rather than blushing and tightening the robe, she posed seductively for his benefit. "If we had more time, I'd show you what heaven's really like. I..." Kei suddenly paled. "Yuri!"

Mikael's easygoing attitude disappeared. "What about her?"

Kei rose to her feet, tightening the robe and taking the gun from Mikael's hands. "If these guys are trying to kill me, they'll be going after her as well."

"How many are left?" Mikael asked.

Kei checked the firearm's ammunition. "Only one, but he's the most dangerous of them all. A Samisdat. I'm not sure if I can take him down, which means Yuri doesn't have a chance alone. We have to hurry!"

The pair raced down the hallway as fast as they could, heading for the pool.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yuri lay on her back once again, pretending to relax under the sun as she weighed her options carefully. Retrieving Iria first was really the only choice they had. You couldn't abandon a comrade in the field; it just wasn't done. That it was Kei's foster mother made it doubly so. Even if she and Kei took enough time to pass the hot potato Mikael had given them to the nearest 3WA outpost, it would still take too much time. With that decided, the only question that remained was how they were going to ditch Killgore and his crew and not have the mercenaries try to kill them in the process. It was obvious they weren't going to let them physically contact headquarters anymore than YSC had. What she and Kei had to come up with was an excuse to separate from the others, perhaps something about it being better to track down Zeiram.

A number of scenarios were racing through Yuri's mind when the door to their private area opened and Cross admitted himself inside. Yuri rose from her lounge chair, body tensed. Now that she knew the truth about Killgore and his crew, she wasn't dropping her guard for an instant. "What is it?"

Cross continued to approach, bringing up both hands to remove his sunglasses. "We just received a message from Iria. They found Zeiram and killed him."

Had Yuri been any less suspicious, the information would have dropped her guard and left her open for a second. Instead it made her even more wary. Adrenaline coursed through her system, making everything seem to move in slow motion as Cross removed his sunglasses...

...And the frames and lenses fell to the ground.

He was a fluid blur with no wasted motion. Yuri could see the arms of the sunglasses were in his hands, each one pointed and deadly. He lashed out with his right toward her chest, but Yuri was ready, and brought her arm up and batted the attacking limb aside.

The first blow was a feint as Cross brought the second one up, aiming directly for her eye. Yuri didn't have time to deflect the jab, and more out of reflex than design, brought her other hand up right in front of her face. She cried out in pain as she felt the sharpened point of the arm of the glasses go into the front of her hand and saw it emerge from the back, covered in blood.

Yuri lashed out with a kick. It was a weak blow, since she was off-balance and operating out of instinct. By all rights an assassin of Cross' caliber should have been able to shrug it off and continue his attack. But chance had the kick land directly in the wound on Cross's side. He hissed in pain and reflexively shifted his body weight to the side, flowing with the blow. The movement made him trip over the lounge chair Yuri had been using. He lost his grip on both of the concealed stilettos and slammed his head on the ground, dazing him.

Wounded and off-balance herself, and acknowledging Cross was probably the superior fighter, Yuri turned to flee. While there were no weapons permitted on the planet, there were security personnel that could come to her aid. And there was Kei. Between her and Kei they could take him down, even if Yuri was wounded.

Yuri had made it no more than three steps before she was hit by a flying tackle from behind. Momentum carried both her and Cross into the pool. The breath was knocked out of her by the initial impact, and she reflexively gasped a moment after she hit the water. Her head was submerged just as she inhaled, taking in water instead of air. In the process of drowning, she tried clawing to the surface like a wounded animal sensing imminent death.

Unlike Yuri, Cross had enough time to take a partial breath as he hit the water. Far more cognizant than his foe, the assassin's training took over as he released his hold from her waist. While maintaining his position behind her, he wrapped an arm around her throat, and locked it in position with his other hand. He would have preferred some sort of strike to her throat or eyes, but the water impeded his ability to deliver a blow, and she was flailing randomly and wildly, making her movements completely unpredictable as she slowly drowned. Strangulation was the most practical way to dispatch her, since he now lacked a weapon.

Yuri felt the arm wrap itself around her neck and lock into position. She had no air to begin with, and she was unable to rise to the surface by the weight on her back. Water filled her throat and lungs, and her vision started to go black from the loss of air. Her struggles doubled as she felt death hovering above her, waiting to claim her life after coming so close more times that she could count. She had to remove the weight on her back or it was over! She lacked leverage or the brute strength necessary to remove her foe, and she was weaponless. There was no way to free herself. She was going to die.

Then Yuri's hand curled reflexively into a fist, but was unable to since there was a blade still embedded in it.

Using the last of her consciousness, she pulled the blade from her hand and blindly stabbed behind her head.

Cross felt the blade effortlessly slide into the left side of his neck, and knew he was dead. His arms slipped from her neck and tried to staunch the flow, knowing he would fail. Despite the pain and the knowledge, there was no panic. One of the last tests in order to become a Samisdat involved purging fear of death from the psyche. However, it did nothing with anger, and Cross cursed his luck, both in Yuri striking him in his wound above the water, and managing to stab him fatally with the first attempt. Had she missed even once, he would have been aware of her acquiring the weapon and could have positioned his head below her back and suffered only several light wounds in non-vital areas. As his vision turned red, both due to the blood in the water and his brain starting to shut down, he thought of the ignominy of it all. The other Samisdat would have made fun of him for being killed by his own weapon.

Then there was nothing.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"There she is!" Kei cried out as Yuri broke the surface, three quarters drowned and coughing up half the pool she had swallowed. Kei panicked at the amount of blood in the water, wondering how Yuri could still be alive after losing so much, then she spotted Cross' body floating to the surface, and the steady stream of red flowing from the area of his neck.

Kei jumped in to help her struggling partner out of the water. Yuri resisted at first, then realized the identity of her savior and went limp, continuing to cough up water as she was dragged to the edge of the pool. Between Kei and Mikael, they hauled Yuri out of the water, laying her on the ground and letting her retch up the water she had swallowed. Once the coughing fit had passed and Yuri recovered enough to speak and listen, the pair exchanged stories of what had happened.

Yuri's voice was still hoarse from coughing up so much water. "We need to get to the ship and get out of here."

"How do we know they won't fire on us the instant we head up?" Kei wondered. "We'll be vulnerable in the shuttle. One shot and we're done, and we won't be able to shoot back."

"Maybe Bob can do something?" Mikael suggested.

"Good idea." Kei used the comlink to contact Bob. She quickly explained what had happened.

"I'm glad the three of you are all right." Relief was obvious in Bob's electronic voice. "Good news about the Destiny. It left orbit a little while ago."

Kei released her breath, not realizing how tense she was. "Cross must have been pretty cocky about being able to kill us if he sent his backup away."

"I don't know. He was pretty professional. I find it hard to believe he'd send away his backup on the assumption he and two of his buddies would be able to kill both of us. A lot of things could go wrong, even if he was a pro," Yuri replied.

Bob's voice cut in on the trio's ruminations. "Wait a minute. A ship just entered Xyphos space without waiting for instructions on what orbit it should take. Its profile is different, and its call signature isn't remotely like the one they've been transmitting, but I have a feeling that the Destiny's departure and this ship's arrival isn't a coincidence."

"We need to get up there now!" Kei swore as she shut down the comlink and began running in the direction of their shuttle's landing pad.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lieutenant Armand Foillet, second-in-command of the Destiny with Cross's absence, peered dispassionately at the back of the communication's officer, D'Angelo manning his post. The transformation had happened without a hitch. It really was a remarkable piece of engineering the Farscots had managed. Not only was the Destiny a surveillance ship, but it had been designed to disguise its physical shape as well. The wings went from a forward to tilted-back position, the bridge could literally relocate itself from the very front of the ship to the middle, one of the engines could be concealed, and two dozen other smaller changes created a significantly different profile in the span of a mere ten minutes. Even its exterior coloration changed from white to black. While it was still the same volume and size, no one trying to find the Destiny would look twice at this outwardly different vehicle. The transformation had gotten them out of a couple of very bad situations, and had made a dozen others easier.

Exactly like this one.

"Any communications from Cross or the others?" Foillet asked.

"Negative, Sir. But it could be they've completed the hit and are too busy going to ground to communicate with us," D'Angelo suggested.

"No, if they had succeeded Cross would have left a message at a relay point for us to receive as soon as we returned. That he hasn't contacted us means he and the others are dead or incapacitated, and we have our orders." He turned the man operating the sensors and weapons console, Markham, and asked. "Are there any signs of activity from the Lovely Angel or the Creeper V?"

"Negative to both," Markham said eagerly.

Foillet mentally sighed. Markham was far too eager to use the Destiny's heavy weaponry. Were it up to Foillet, he would have had the man removed from the job, if not the unit altogether. But it wasn't up to him, and Markham knew what he was doing. "Target the Lovely Angel first and destroy it. Even as damaged as it is, it still has far more weapons than the Creeper. After you destroy the Creeper, arm the 2F Neutron warheads and target the inhabited area of the moon." He turned back to D'Angelo. "Send a message to Killgore, updating him on the situation."

Markham grinned at Foillet like a child that had been told he would be moving into a candy store. "Already targeted. Firing now."

Foillet waited patiently as ten missiles fired in two waves from the Destiny's launchers, all of them targeting the 3WA ship. Like the others, he had no great love of the 3WA and its tendency to stick its nose into what he thought was none of their business. Nothing hampered the missiles, and every one struck the target. Foillet felt an immense personal satisfaction from a job well done as the infamous ship belonging to the Dirty Pair was reduced to thousands of bits of scrap metal, none larger than five cubic meters in length.

"Targeting the Creeper," Markham said, grinning even more eagerly now.

Suddenly, there was a loud rumble from somewhere deeper inside the ship, and it caused the deck to heave under Foillet's feet. He barely managed to grab onto the back of the command chair to keep from ending up on the floor. More groaning could be heard from inside the ship, sounding dangerously close to the command room. "Status report!" he ordered.

One of the others shouted, "There have been a number of explosions within the ship itself! Main power relays and most of the systems just crashed!"

"Get them back up!" Foillet ordered.

"Sir!" Markham shouted.

"What?" Foillet's panicked doubled at the tone.

Markham's smile was gone now and he began speaking in a distant voice. "The Creeper has just launched a missile at us."

Foillet became pale. "Shields?"

"Inoperable."

"Here it comes!" Markham said, ducking under his console. Foillet didn't know why he bothered. Unprotected, and if the person shooting them knew how to program a guidance system, it was heading right for their fusion reactor. On a smaller ship like the Destiny, no shields meant they might as well be a helpless cargo freighter that had "Shoot Me" painted next to their fuel cells.

Foillet heard one huge explosion, then nothing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Morons," Bob said to himself as he 'watched' through the Creeper V's sensor system as what indisputably been the Destiny became a gigantic fireball. It made the explosions that took out the Lovely Angel look like someone had set a firecracker off in a tin can.

Bob had to admit, Iria's shifty mind truly worked miracles sometimes. He had been leery when she informed him of her plan to wander 'lost' around Killgore's ship, planting miniature explosives in vital areas, when she had gone over to the ship to inform her ex-husband that she would be traveling with him. Since she would be gone, she left the destruct codes with Bob, just in case. While Bob didn't trust any of the mercenaries for a moment, he didn't anticipate their betrayal would be so sudden and savage, especially without Killgore to guide them. In hindsight, it was clear Iria was a genius. At least that was what he would tell her, since her paranoia was the only reason he and the others were still alive.

Bob opened a channel to the women and Mikael on the surface of the moon. They'd have to rendezvous quickly, before the authorities started moving and detained them until they could explain what had happened. They couldn't waste a second. It was their turn to save Iria the way she had saved them, even if she hadn't been present at the time. It didn't take a genius to figure out that if Killgore's crew had betrayed them, it was only a matter of time before Killgore did the same thing to Iria.

It appeared Iria had been right the whole time, and should have shot Killgore before he tried to get her. Now it was a race against time to save her.

Or, Bob thought grimly, to avenge her.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

End Chapter

Author's note: My god, a chapter that turned out shorter than I thought it would. Will wonders never cease? In any case, barring something completely unpredictable happening, only two chapters to go (I think there will be too much to put into one chapter, but you never know.) As you can tell, we're entering the climax of the story. Hope to get the next chapter out before too long.


	13. Chapter 13

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot Chapter 13

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Standard Disclaimer: Dirty Pair created by Hideki Sonoda and Haruka Takachiho. Iria: Zeiram belongs to Crowd, Bandai Visual, Mitsubishi Corp., Banpresto and US Manga Corps. I don't own the right to any of the Dirty Pair or Iria: Zeiram, the Animation characters.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

General Miguel Fuentes grunted in annoyance as he stood outside the door of what any casual observer would call a palatial mansion. As befitting a mansion, it stood on a sprawling estate whose size was more suitable for farming enough food to feed hundreds rather than for personal use. Technically it wasn't his. It was owned by the Danube planetary government, and was to be used only by the Supreme Commander of System Defense, which was an elaborate way of saying 'the guy in charge of maintaining the planet's orbital defenses'. It was a rank Miguel had held for the last fifteen years, and would be until the day he died, which was hopefully many decades away.

The elaborate and expensive 'perks' accompanying the rank hadn't always been like this. Forty years ago, when Miguel first entered the officers' corps, the SCSD had a slightly larger than standard military house and a permanent staff of three. But that was before the Great Expansion. Before YSC decided to make their primary headquarters on Danube. Since then the entire planet's economy had expanded some one thousand times, and was continuing to grow as YSC did. Danube had gone from an unknown backwater world that no one knew existed to one of the most important centers of commerce in the galaxy, and it was all thanks to YSC.

The same thing that happened to the economy happened to the military. It had grown exponentially, swelling in size and allowing young up and comers like Miguel to shoot through the newly expanded ranks like a Sarram Missile streaking through the atmosphere. His rise to power ended when he became the SCSD upon the previous one's retirement.

Now Miguel led a life of, while not idle wealth, one of impressive resources at his fingertips. One of his favorites was the expanded staff that came with the position of SCSD, including twenty people assigned to the mansion's grounds. They took care of all his everyday needs. There wasn't a thing he had to do, other than chew his food.

That staff was also the source of Miguel's irritation as he waited impatiently on the doorstep. Someone was supposed to have opened the door for him when he approached, like they always did. There was always a guard stationed at the inside of the door to screen guests and admit Miguel when he returned from whatever drew him away from his home. Instead, for the first time since attaining his position, no one was there to admit him. Sgt. Hooper should still have been on door duty tonight, if he recalled correctly. She was really going to be reprimanded for her lax attitude regarding one of the few duties assigned to her. Discipline had to be maintained, after all.

It was especially odd since Hooper had been there to usher the general out when the emergency meeting had been called. The meeting had not taken long, only two hours, and most of it was just YSC claiming there was a possibility Zeiram might strike at one of the orbital platforms. Let him. With the over three hundred highly trained military personnel on board, they would make short work of him, assuming he wasn't blown out of space on his approach. But Miguel had to go through the motions of considering the entity a serious threat, if for no other reason than to make YSC happy. Only a complete idiot dealt casually with the source of money for the people who signed his paychecks. Ignoring YSC's concerns might result in them ignoring their donations to the military, and that wouldn't do at all.

After placing a few calls to the commander of the platform, Miguel was satisfied the matter of Zeiram was well in hand and returned to his home for a night of relaxation, only to be left waiting on his doorstep. Now thoroughly agitated, he deigned to open the door himself and walked inside, intent on tracking down Sgt. Hooper and tearing her a new asshole before her demotion to private second class. She'd spend the rest of her career cleaning latrines. That was one thing the military had kept as a holdover to the old days: plenty of latrines to clean as punishment for dereliction of duty.

There was a noise from further up the hallway, emanating from the open archway that led to the mansion's living room. Perhaps that was where Hooper was hiding. Maybe with one of the male members of the staff. She was a striking woman, and Miguel paid little enough attention to the relationships the house staff had with one another. Were that the case, there would be two demotions forthcoming.

"Sgt. Hooper, is that yo-" Miguel's authoritative voice was suddenly silenced as he turned the corner and entered the room. Sgt. Hooper was not present, nor was she having a tryst with the chef. Instead there was a man seated in Miguel's favorite chair, sipping what appeared to be brandy from the general's private stock. The ebony face was instantly familiar to Miguel, having seen holograms of it less than an hour ago: Anton Scorphious.

By all rights that should have been enough to consume all of Miguel's attention, but there was something else in the room that made Anton as irrelevant as gum on the bottom of the SCSD's boot. No hologram did Zeiram justice. The huge monstrosity stood at Anton's right, like a giant butler waiting for instructions, though odds were they would be of dismembering guests, rather than hanging up their jackets.

Anton opened his mouth, but Miguel didn't wait for whatever declaration the madman intended to give. While Miguel had a sidearm and knew how to use it, Zeiram was close enough to move between any shots and Anton, and the general had no delusions about being able to injure the monster with such an insignificant weapon. Flight was the only option.

Miguel turned and ran down the hall, hoping to make it outside. God willing, his driver, Sgt. Donatello, hadn't returned the vehicle to the garage. If he could make it to the car he could flee and call upon a thousand ground troops to crush Zeiram once and for all.

As the door came into sight, Miguel saw the back of a familiar form next to it. Sgt. Hooper had finally put in an appearance. His anger at her forgotten, the SDSC called out, "Open the door and run, Sergeant! There's-"

For the second time in the evening, Miguel found his command die off. Sgt. Hooper had turned at the sound of his voice, or at least the thing that was in the sergeant's uniform. While it was humanoid in shape, and approximately the same height and weight as Hooper, it was hardly human. Green mottled flesh, three yellowed eyes, and an 'O' shaped mouth that seemed to lack a discernable jaw, though it was ringed with sharp teeth, dominated its face. Its sudden appearance brought Miguel to a complete stop, despite the urgency of the situation.

Reigning in his panic, Miguel turned to run for the nearest staircase, hoping to make it out a window so he could drop to the ground and flee. Even that was denied him as a number of other creatures, also dressed in military garb, moved into the hallway from every direction, cutting off any avenue of escape. There was no point in opening fire. He didn't have enough ammunition to kill half of them.

"Sorry about this," a voice from behind Miguel explained. "Your staff proved most rude to unexpected guests. I'm afraid they needed to be converted into Zeiramoids. Rush job, though. They won't last more than a day. But that shall be long enough to accomplish my goal."

Miguel turned to see Anton standing a safe distance behind him, Zeiram at his side like an obedient puppy, one waiting for the 'Kill' command.

"Your goal?" Miguel managed to get out.

Anton smiled. "Yes, you see. I need a little item from one of your orbital platforms. And I'd like you to help me get it. In return, I guarantee your continued survival."

"Why should I believe you?" Miguel asked.

Anton shrugged. "I could just have Zeiram convert you into one of those." He pointed at a Zeiramoid. "And get the information that way, but it's not expedient. As an individual, you are so meaningless to me that you literally aren't worth the time it would take to kill you. So why not use a much better option for both of us?"

Miguel wasn't certain he believed the man, but it didn't matter. The thing that had been Sgt. Hooper had moved closer to him. The general could see every repugnant component of its inhumanity, yet could still make out the elements of the former sergeant. He would do anything to avoid that fate, even if it meant selling out every person on the planet.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The guard at the gatepost looked up at the approaching vehicle. It was a heavily armored troop carrier, an unusual sight at the time of night. He activated his logpad to see if there was an arrival that he had missed on his first read through of it at the start of his shift.

He had just punched up the data display when the gatehouse computer chimed. The guard displayed it, reading the top priority message that had just come from headquarters. The general of the SCSD himself had authorized additional troops to be transported to one of the orbital platforms. The approaching vehicle had already sent its authorization code to the gatehouse, confirming it was the expected arrival.

The guard opened the gates and saluted crisply at the vehicle, just catching a glimpse of the general himself in the passenger's side. Once the vehicle was out of sight, he returned to his duties, wishing in envy he was the general of SCSD. Now there was a cushy job that required nothing more than sitting on one's thumbs and rubber stamping anything that came across a desk. It sure as hell was better than sitting in a guardhouse in the dead of night with nothing to do other than watch the stars twinkle.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Damn it, Bob! Can't you go faster?" Kei complained.

"I can go a little faster for a few minutes, burn out our primary engines, and then take six days to finish the trip," he shot back.

Kei cursed and slammed her fist on the control panel.

"Take it easy," Mikael soothed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She's my mom, you know. I'm worried about her too. But she can take care of herself."

"Killgore's going to kill her, though. I just know it!" Kei spat.

"She can handle herself against anyone," Mikael said, though now his voice carried a hint of concern.

"Speaking of Killgore, that does raise a good question concerning you, Mikael," Yuri said. "We'll try to keep it from happening, but plans tend to go to hell once the shooting starts. If push comes to shove, are you willing to kill your father to protect your mother?"

Kei stared at Yuri, horrified "You idiot! He wasn't' supposed to know that!"

"Oh, crap," Yuri slapped her hand to her forehead.

"There wasn't a problem until just now." Even Bob's digital voice was acerbic.

Mikael appeared unmoved by the conversation. "What are you talking about?"

Kei laughed nervously. "I don't know how to break this to you, but I'm afraid the guy Iria is with right now is her ex-husband, and, it turns out he's-"

"-My father," Mikael completed for her. "Now I get it. Actually, I completely forgot Mom was trying to keep him secret from me. As though she could keep a secret from me, one of the greatest slicers to ever live." He snickered in open self-satisfaction at his abilities.

"You mean you knew who your father is?" Bob asked, while both Kei and Yuri stared at him in surprise.

Mikael shrugged. "Yeah, I got curious and backchecked hospital records. It wasn't hard to put together a timeline and figure out who my father was. I tracked him down and went to visit him a couple of years ago."

"Oh?" Bob asked.

"When you and Mom were on a mission," Mikael explained. "It was pretty convenient since it turned out he was nearby because of some job. I met him in a bar and told him I was his son. His first words to me were along the lines of 'Look, kid, I've fathered lots of bastards in my time, and don't owe them anything. I regard bringing you into this world as payment in full, so you aren't getting a cent out of me. And I don't have the time or inclination to take care of you. You're old enough to get by on your own, so leave me alone' and he went back to drinking."

"Wow, that's cold," Yuri said while Kei shot him a sympathetic look.

Mikael shrugged. "Let's just say I understand why Mom wanted to keep his identity from me. Honestly, though, I wasn't all the depressed about it. I only wanted to see what he was like out of curiosity, not because there was some vacuum of male authority figures in my life. Well, he answered my curiosity. He's just a person like any other I only met once and didn't like. So no, I have no problem with killing him if it means protecting Mom. Not that I'm worried that it'll come to that. It's not like I have the ability to do it anyway. He looked like he could drop me ten different ways without even blinking."

"Probably closer to twenty," Kei corrected. "In any case, rescuing Iria is our primary concern. Avoiding Killgore altogether would suit me just fine."

"And Zeiram as well," Yuri muttered under her breath.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You know, if you keep pacing like that, you're going to wear a hole through the deck plating, and then our air will get sucked out and we'll implode," Killgore said.

"It's a tempting thought if it means taking you with me," Iria snapped back, halting her pacing for a moment, then starting it again. "Why the hell did they send us to this stupid orbital platform anyway?"

"Because they think Zeiram might show up here, which is what you want anyway, so quit complaining. At least the accommodations are nice." And they were. Despite the fact the orbital platform was a military facility, they occasionally had visiting dignitaries. Subsequently the guest room for visitors was surprisingly plush, with a decided non-military feel to it.

Iria scoffed at the suggestion. "They're just ditching you and are using that as a pretence since they don't want to be open about it. Frankly, I don't blame them."

Killgore stood up from the couch he had been lounging on. He approached Iria, standing deliberately in the path of her pacing and forcing her to stop.

"You're in my way." Iria's growl was closer to something that might slip past an animal's mouth instead of a human.

Killgore remained where he was. "This is the first time we've had any privacy since our paths crossed again."

"Yes, and you'd think by now you'd have picked up on the hint that I didn't want to be alone with you, since I've avoided placing myself in such a situation."

The rebuff was ignored. "We need to talk."

"There's nothing to discuss!" Iria snapped back.

Killgore moved closer until he was easily violating her personal space. Iria tensed up, as though he might strike her.

"I want us to get back together," Killgore said.

Anger was replaced by bewilderment. "What?"

"I'm not bullshitting you," Killgore insisted in what was obviously sincere tones. "All my life, breaking up with you was the only thing I've ever really regretted."

"And getting together with you was the only thing I've ever really regretted," she said testily.

"I'm being serious," Killgore said, all but pleading with her. "I'll admit, I was young and made a lot of mistakes. I was stupid and didn't appreciate what we had. I'll be perfectly honest, I wasn't even that bothered by the break up at the time. I thought it would be just like every other relationship I had and move on. But it was never the same. Not with any woman I've been with ever since. Not the women like you. Not the ones that were the complete opposite of you, and everything in-between. I never felt anything for them like I did for you.

"Every time I look back on when we were together, I realize it was the best relationship I ever had. And you were the best partner I ever had, in every sense of the word. There hasn't been anyone I've trusted to have at my back the way I did you. And now that I'm with you again, I know you're the only one I really want. Let's get back together, like in the old days. Hell, I want to marry you again. I'll resign from the company. I'll leave my crew. We can go out as a two person team again. I'll give it all up for you. What do you say?"

Much to his astonishment, Iria reached up, hooked her hands around the back of his neck, lowered his head down while she stood on her toes, and kissed him. It took a Killgore a moment to react, and then began returning the kiss. It was just like the old days, when they were newlyweds and couldn't keep their hands off one another.

And then Iria broke off the kiss, backed away, and struck him hard in the face with a right hook.

The force of the blow nearly knocked Killgore off his feet. He could feel his jaw starting to swell instantly.

Iria shook her hand back and forth, having hurt it in the blow. She had a cold look of iron in her eyes. "My only regret was never giving you a proper kiss goodbye. Now I have. You keep talking about everything you want from me, but I got news for you, Eugene: there's nothing you have that I want. At least, not after that kiss. That part of my life ended a long time ago, and I moved on. I did love you once, I couldn't hate you so much if I hadn't, but I don't love you anymore. Some things can't be forgiven, and the things you did to me are like that. So forget about it."

"I see." Killgore turned to leave the room, proud but resigned in defeat. He opened the door, and hit the button to slide it shut behind him. He needed to walk and think things through.

Killgore hadn't made it more than ten meters down one of the passageways when a private communication from the Destiny was forwarded to him. For a moment he considered saving it and reading it later, lord knew he wasn't in the mood to do anything but brood, but Cross wouldn't call him unless it was something important. Resigned to his duty, he read the message. Within five lines it had his full attention. He grimaced as the final line of the message scrolled past. And he had thought things were complicated before.

Killgore thought about the new twists the situation had taken. Maybe it was for the best Iria had turned him down. By now the Dirty Pair were dead, and Kei's death would have made reuniting with Iria impossible. He knew how much his ex-wife had doted on the girl, even if she had left like a thief in the night a year before Killgore came into the picture. Perhaps the two of them working together, like in the old days, had been nothing more than an idle dream. But dreams were nice, and he had meant every word he had said to her. Iria had made her choice, and now he made his.

He opened a line to the commander of the orbital platform. Luckily, Springer had the foresight to designate Killgore an official 'advisor' from YSC, which gave him nearly as much pull as the commander himself. "This is Killgore. The woman that has been traveling with me has become a threat to the ship. I need one... no, two squads of your best men to go down to the guest suite and eliminate her with extreme prejudice. Regard her as a Class 1 threat. Get confirmation on the kill, meaning I want a body that can be ID'd. Outside of that, do whatever it takes to get the job done. YSC will cover any losses. Killgore out."

The mercenary shut down the communicator and continued down the hallway. He didn't want to be present when Iria was finally dealt out of his life forever. It looked like he owed Cross an apology. Killgore had allowed sentimentality to cloud his judgment. He should have just let Foulcard kill Iria in the beginning, but he couldn't resist one last shot at trying to make things right between the two of them. He had owed her that much. But like she had said, there was nothing between them now.

It was time to get back to business.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The halls leading to the closed door of the platform's guest chamber were surprisingly quiet, despite the sixteen commandos that flooded into the area. They approached in two tight formations of eight mean each, one group in the lead while the other followed hot on their heels.

The man at the forefront of the lead group waved a hand, signaling everyone to halt. Carefully he peered around the corner just enough to catch sight of the closed door. Satisfied by what he saw, he signaled to the man at the head of the second group to approach.

The second man was at his side. "How we playing this, Deke?"

Deke said, "Same as always, Tosh, by the book. We'll go in the hall and up to the door with you giving us back up. We'll put two at angles, two flush against the wall, and two to pop it open with you guys up the hall using the corners for cover as backup."

Tosh rolled his eyes. "This is such a waste. All of this manpower for one chick that doesn't even know we're coming, even if she his armed."

"And with any luck, will already be unconscious by the time we hit the room."

"You're having Control pump it full of somna gas?"

"I prefer unconscious targets to conscious ones that can shoot at me, and since the whole station is rigged to fill with the stuff in case we're taken over, I want to take advantage of the terrain. So make sure your guys have their masks on."

"Copy. And this chick better not be the reason we were placed on alert. I'm going to be seriously let down if it is." Tosh saluted once and returned to the side of his teammates to give them their instructions while Deke did the same to his squad.

Once the two groups were prepared, they moved with the precision of a finely tuned machine. Deke's group took the point, falling into their prearranged positions along the wall and door.

Deke tapped his comlink once, the signal to the people in the control room to flood the room with gas. Deke waited the appropriate five seconds for the fast acting gas to take effect. He then signaled to the trooper next to the door to insert the override command to open it. Four other men were prepared to shoot anything that moved once the door slid open.

The trooper entered the code, a crack forming down the middle of the door as the sides began to slide back into their housing. They had opened no more than six centimeters when a blur skittered across the ground through the opening and out the hall.

Deke saw it was no more than five centimeters across and round, like a puck. He recognized the device instantly, having used them himself on occasion. "Bomb!"

He was too late as it rolled to the area where the second squad lay in wait. They were just starting to pull back when it detonated, creating a spectacular explosion that tore all the men in that area to shreds, include Tosh, who just a minute earlier had been complaining about the overkill on the military's part for sending so many men to deal with one person.

Deke recovered quickly. There would be time to mourn later. He turned to his men, "Prepare-"

The rest was cut off as a second detonation took place right in front of the door. Unlike the first bomb, which was explosive in nature, this one was incendiary, and the billowing fireball reached far beyond the edges of the door, consuming everything in an eight meter radius, including Deke and his men.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Iria stopped crawling through the tight confines of the ventilation shaft as she heard the first explosion, followed by the second one a moment later, behind her. Even with the distance she had put between herself and the room, she could still feel heat from the fireball consume the room that lay several minutes of crawling behind her.

Having already stopped, Iria peered at the rectangular yellow object she held in her hand. It was slender but twice as long as her palm, with a small video screen in the middle. "And you wonder why I still don't trust you." It was a lucky thing she had put the bug on her ex-husband's uniform when she kissed him. That wasn't the only reason she had done it, she really had wanted to give him a kiss goodbye, but the listening device had saved her life. Apparently his ability to deal with rejection had become even worse than hers had over the years. She wondered for a moment what would have happened if she could still stomach him and had accepted his offer.

But she couldn't and she hadn't, and was glad she made the choice she had. Now all that was left was to give him a proper send off. She affectionately fondled the butt of one of her holstered pistols. Or maybe she should use one of her handful of remaining explosives. Or maybe a blade. So many choices, and she could only kill him once. It was almost criminal.

Iria looked at the blinking red light on the screen of the bug's control unit. Not only could it eavesdrop, but it could track someone up to a kilometer's distance as well, and the platform was only three quarters of a kilometer long. There was literally nowhere her ex-husband could hide. All he had was several hundred troops to place between him and her, and she would kill every last one of them if she had to if it meant finishing Killgore for good.

Iria began crawling through the shaft once again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Delta-One, this is Flight Control. You're right on target. Proceed through the hanger and to the designated landing pad. Flight Control over and out." Sergeant Milgrew cut the comlink and watched both his instruments and visually through the transparent plexiglass that separated the control room from the landing bay as the ship settled gracefully into its proper berth.

The only other person in the room, Sergeant Kwon, moved away from his console and observed the proceedings. "So that's the SCSD?"

"The one and only," Milgrew confirmed. "I'm not surprised he decided to drop in. I heard YSC is the one who called the alert. I figured it was only a matter of time before he came up to oversee things." Milgrew watched as the ship performed a perfect link up with the magnetic floor clamps. They locked into place, securing the ship.

Kwon breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad I don't work on the bridge. I sure wouldn't want him looking over my shoulder, ready to jump on me for fucking up."

Milgrew closed the hanger doors and began flooding the hanger with oxygen. He turned from the gauges and began talking directly to his companion. "I hear he's not that bad. Not like General Ransom or Admiral Mawbango. Those are some serious ball busters."

Kwon laughed "I heard 'The Maw' eats at least one cadet per graduating class just to keep them on their toes."

"Sacrifices must be made," Milgrew quipped at one of the more infamous phrases the Admiral had made during the course of her career.

Kwon pointed through the viewport. "Hey, are they getting out already?"

Milgrew turned to follow Kwon's gaze. Sure enough, the shuttle's landing ramp had deployed and the door to the ship was opening. "Shit! We haven't had the time to properly roll out the red carpet for him. He's exiting way too soon for proper protocol. He should have waited for us to give him the go ahead."

"I'll contact the brass band and tell them to get out there." Kwon went to his console, then stopped short. "What the hell is that?"

Milgrew stared in stunned shock at the nine-foot, green-skinned bipedal mushroom that had emerged from the ship's door.

Then Zeiram raised the missile launcher in his hand, aimed it at the control room, and pulled the trigger.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"My, we're off to an explosive start." Anton Scorphious clapped his hands in approval as he walked down the landing ramp and into the hanger bay. He imagined the smell of battle filled the air, though it would have to remain imagined since the helmet connected to his spacesuit's seals were intact. He resisted the urge to remove the helmet and see what the smell of carnage was like. He needed his own supply of air, at least for a little while longer.

The Zeiramoids, both the ones consisting of the late general's staff, in addition to the crews of both the transport and shuttle, followed right behind Anton, as anxious as their creator to spread chaos and destruction to anything and anyone they came into contact with. But they would have to wait until Anton cleared the path for them.

It took only a second to locate a computer terminal in the hanger bay, which was devoid of people now that the control room was destroyed. Anton had to move quickly, before the privacy he needed was compromised. The bridge would figure out something was amiss when the control room failed to report in, and might consider shutting down the hanger's computer system as a precaution. Then things would become a great deal more difficult. Time was of the essence.

Moving swiftly, Anton plugged in his mini-computer, one of only five prototypes YSC had created. Anton had forced his brother to assign the unit to him right before he faked his death. It was a wonderful device, one that could hook itself up to an unprecedented ninety-five percent of the computer terminals in the civilized galaxy. The project's sales division anticipated it would be ready for mass market consumption by the end of the year.

It would never be shipped out, nor would any other item, at least no farther than a single planet. Not once Anton acquired the final item on his list. Every sales department that existed would be eradicated once he taught the galaxy the lesson it needed to learn. Both the amoral corporations and their enabler consumers would be brought to task. The first of Anton's demands would be issued by the end of the day, once he unleashed Argus and had demonstrated to the galaxy what he was capable of by annihilating his brother, YSC headquarters, and every one of those sell outs that made up the population of Danube. A show of force was always necessary for one to be taken seriously, and the truth was Anton would enjoy slaughtering them.

The mini-computer found the proper setting and jacked into the system. With the late SCSD's pass codes, it was a simple matter to bypass the security settings and seize control of the system. While the bridge crew would eventually be able to force Anton out by manually reformatting the command system, that would take a minimum of an hour. More than enough time for Anton to finish things and be long gone from the orbital platform.

The premade programs Anton created for this situation began running. One of the first seized control of the somna gas system and flooded the entire station with it. That would take out most of the soldiers on the ship. Since the platform was stationed above the atmosphere, some of the men would be in spacesuits at all times and could don their rebreathers or helmets, remaining unaffected, but Anton estimated it would be no greater than two people out of ten. A far more manageable number than the full company of hundreds. And since Anton controlled their communication systems, the disparate soldiers would be unable to mount any organized resistance until it was too late. No, the situation was well in hand.

Turning away from his handiwork, Anton had Zeiram order the Zeiramoids to go ahead and add to the mass confusion already plaguing the ship. They would be little more than a distraction, but an effective one and they would break down the remaining resistance further.

Anton returned to the ship and retrieved the one item (besides Argus) that he had brought with him. With the flip of a switch and a turn of the dial, Anton activated a hoversled that carried the first of the Argus Projectiles onboard. It was amazing how a gallon of liquid and a silver orb no more than two meters wide could destroy an entire planet, but Anton wasn't about to complain since it made his job of galactic enlightenment so much easier. He had made certain the hoversled was large enough to carry the mass driver back to the ship, but that would only be after Anton used it to ensure that everything worked properly. That was the one hole in the plan. Everything was theoretical up to this point, since Argus had never been given a proper field test. Everything had been relegated to a laboratory environment. But Anton was certain it would succeed. YSC might be a godless, faceless entity, but it was effective. Zeiram's resurrection and their success was proof of that. Anton had righteousness on his side in this crusade. His cause was just. How could he not succeed?

As Anton exited the vehicle, controlling the large sled with a portable command unit, he noticed Zeiram removing one of the large guns that had been affixed to the underside of a snub fighter that was stored in the hanger. Anton recognized it as a Chilsean 400, an anti-fighter weapon that was even larger than Zeiram, not that its size stopped him from wielding it as though it was an oversized rifle. While the weapon had its own internal ammunition supply and was designed to be easily moved from fighters to land vehicles, they weren't designed to be handheld. Nothing human could hope to handle such a thing. The recoil would shatter their bones instantly. But since Zeiram fell under the category of 'nothing human' it could no doubt wield the weapon effortlessly.

The cannon could easily blow through any resistance Zeiram might meet on the platform. It would also easily blow a hole through any wall, including an exterior one that held back the vacuum of outer space. Anton would have to make sure their course didn't take them near any. Being blown out into space would put a crimp into all his plans, especially the one concerning continued survival.

"Let's go," Anton ordered, allowing Zeiram to walk a good distance in front of him, his handheld canon leading the way.

xxxxxxxxx

Iria's breath filled her ears as the rebreather covered her face. She had donned it just in time as the now familiar hiss of somna gas filled the ventilation shaft she was crawling through.. She had to admit, it was an odd tactic the military had employed, trying to use the same trick twice. Perhaps it meant there was an idiot in charge. In Iria's experience, contrary to popular belief, most members high up in the military echelon tended to be smart, since dumb leaders tended to die before they moved very high up in the chain of command, either through personal stupidity or their army being crushed by a not dumb foe. But occasionally one rose to prominence due to connections or luck, and to the best of Iria's knowledge, the Danube military had never been involved in any actual combat. Their inexperience could be showing.

That they pumped gas into her shaft meant they knew her location. Since fighting in the tight confines of a ventilation system was not her idea of a good time, she would have to emerge into the platform proper. She'd have to move quickly, before her foes learned their trick hadn't worked and they tried something a little more fatal, like sending a thousand pounds of an automated shaft cleaning unit down her tunnel to flatten her.

Since Iria didn't have anything that could see heat signatures through the walls, she was forced to pull out a listening device, affixed it to the metal beneath her hands, and held the other end up to her ear. She closed her eyes, trying to detect any noise that might indicate there were soldiers beneath her. After three minutes of silence, Iria decided she could no longer remain where she was, and that if they knew she was directly overhead, they would have fired through the shaft at her stationary form. She pulled out a portable cutting torch, no longer than a penlight, and turned it to its highest setting. It was an expensive, but powerful, device and much more quiet than using a shaped charge. Within seconds she had burned a hole through the shaft wide enough to allow her to pass.

Iria leapt through the hole, landing on her feet in the middle of a corridor with a pistol in hand, prepared to shoot anything that moved. She discovered that her earlier assumption regarding no one being in the corridor was wrong. There was a quartet of soldiers present. Despite that, the bounty hunter held her fire. Unconscious people rarely presented much of a problem.

Iria remained where she was, noting that the fallen men's chests continued moving up and down steadily. Most likely they had been laid low by the somna gas, but that made no sense. Why wouldn't their commander warn them they were going to pump gas into the ventilation system? Something was wrong.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the sound of at least two people talking animatedly to one another came from around a bend in the corridor. The voices grew louder, indicating the speakers were approaching. There were two, judging by the voices. Iria raised her pistol and aimed in their direction, moving toward the noise. If they had been ordered to check out a disturbance where she had emerged, it would be better for her to meet them before they arrived at the area, hopefully catching them unaware.

The instant a pair of figures entered her field of vision, Iria snapped off four shots, hitting each man twice in the chest and dropping them in their tracks before they could react. One advantage to being surrounded by nothing but enemies was that she could fire at anything that moved while her opponents had to pause long enough to identify their targets to keep from shooting an ally. It was about the only advantage she had.

After looking around the bend to ascertain there was no one backing up the pair, Iria took a closer look at the men she had just shot. Their uniforms identified them as soldiers. There was nothing unusual about their appearance, save for the rebreathers attached to their faces. They were as unremarkable as the hundreds of faceless soldiers she had encountered on dozens of different worlds over the course of her career. She briefly considered taking one of the rifles to upgrade her firepower. While she had never fired a Laveran 24, it was reputed to be a reliable short range rifle. After a moment's consideration, she decided against it. Better to stick to her personal arsenal than relying on an unfamiliar weapon.

A noise came from the corridor behind her. This time it wasn't voices, but rather the sound of something moving toward her position. Iria reversed her course, repeating her actions just as she had before with her pistol aimed at chest level and finger poised on a hair-trigger. As she moved closer, the approaching sound grew louder and more distinct. Unless she was mistaken, it was only one person, and they weren't even trying to hide their presence.

Two more steps brought the figure into view. Again Iria didn't hesitate as she snapped off a single shot at the figure before her mind processed what she was seeing, giving her body a chance to react. What she saw froze her in place, right down to her trigger finger. While the source of the noise was shaped like a human, that was where the similarities ended. It was a true monstrosity, with lumpy pustules, like exterior tumors, running the length of its pink skin. Its head was worse, a rounded dome with four yellow pupiless eyes that weren't even remotely symmetrical. On the ends of its hands were long claws that were shaped like miniature tusks, thick enough to gore their way through five centimeters of steel. Looking at the abomination made her want to vomit. Nature couldn't have created this beast. There was only one thing in the universe that could give birth to something that was so hideously wrong.

Despite Iria's shot hitting the creature in its chest, it seemed largely unaffected. It surged forward on stumpy legs that ended in taloned feet, leaping at Iria as froth spilled from its muzzle.

Hesitation cost Iria. She didn't have time to aim at any vital points on the creature before it would land upon her. Rather than trying to stand her ground and end up knocked over by the creature's greater mass and velocity, Iria fell backward on her own, bringing her legs up in-between her and the creature. It impacted solidly with her legs, nearly driving her knees into her chest, but she managed to keep it from actually landing on her using sheer leg muscle alone. Braced against her legs and no longer charging, Iria brought her gun up and emptied the remainder of the magazine into the creature's face before it could rend her with its claws. It gurgled once with the initial shot, then was silenced as the rest of its head disintegrated into a hundred bloody fragments.

Some of the gore splattered on Iria's armor, decorating it in pink and green vital fluids and producing a foul odor that only made her want to retch more. Iria shut out both the smell and the mess. It was nothing compared to a job she had out on the agricultural world of Fledyon. At one point she was forced to hide out in a fertilizer silo, meaning she was buried up to her neck in animal dung for two days. It marked the last time she accepted a job involving farmers of any kind.

Kicking the body to the side, Iria reloaded her pistol. The presence of the creature changed the situation drastically. Eradicating Zeiram took precedence over everything else, including hunting down Killgore. Her ex-husband would just have to live with being second on her 'to kill' list.

Iria reinventoried her weapons. Tracking down Zeiram wouldn't be difficult. All she had to do was follow the trail of destruction he'd leave behind. It would eventually lead to the monster, and their final confrontation would finally begin. And this time only one of them would be walking away.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I understand. Over and out." Springer shut down her wrist comlink and turned to Slapatcha. "We've lost contact with the platform."

The president of YSC remained sitting behind his desk, paling despite his dark skin. Against Springer's advice, he remained in his office at YSC headquarters, trying to conduct business as usual. Slapatcha hadn't really believed his brother would be stupid enough to come to Danube. Even if he did, the president had been confident his brother and pet monster would be killed long before they could touch down on the platform. And on the offhand chance they made it that far, the troops would shoot them into pieces before they made it five steps toward the mass driver.

Now it seemed as though all of his assumptions were being proven horribly wrong. With all his beliefs shattered, Slapatcha said nothing. He remained at his desk, hands trembling.

Springer forced the issue. "We have to assume worst case scenario. I took the liberty of having your emergency shuttle prepped for this possibility. We'll go off planet until this matter sorts itself out."

Surprisingly, Slapatcha shook his head. It was a faint gesture, lacking his usual command confidence. one that came from giving orders that affected billions of lives every day. "No, we'll be staying."

"That's foolish." For a reprimand, it lacked any feeling of reproach behind it. It was a simple statement, along the lines of something like 'water is wet.'

"Not really," Slapatcha contended. "This is my headquarters. The throne of my power. Everything of importance is right here, including the center of our satellite intelligence gathering and control. There are a thousand different projects that are so sensitive, we didn't dare host them anywhere else. There is nowhere in the galaxy, not even our number two headquarters in Remont, that we could relocate to that wouldn't take years to reconstruct what we have here. And even if we could, Anton would just blow that planet out from under us as well. There's no point in running."

Springer noted his voice was taken on a panicked edge, but she said nothing.

Slapatcha continued. "And then there's the slicer with our information. Without our satellites to suppress it, he'll go to the 3WA, and once they're involved, it's all over. And even if I somehow manage to beat the charges, YSC will be ruined. I'm too old to start over again. No, here is where I'll make my stand. If Danube falls, so do I."

A brief shrug was Springer's response. "Fine. Going down with the ship is a decision many captains have done over the centuries. It's laudable in many ways. But I have no intention of remaining here. This is your life's work, not mine."

The muscles on Slapatcha's face twitched in anger. "You're the one that was supposed to prevent this from happening. It's your responsibility that events have made it this far."

Springer's voice was neutral. "I told you from the start there were no guarantees where your brother and Zeiram were involved, and that you should have destroyed the Argus materials before Anton stole them from you. Had you done what I recommended, we would not be in this predicament. But now we are, and retreating is the best option available."

"There will be no retreat!" Slapatcha shouted, punctuating each word with a fist on the table. "We will stay here to the bitter end! You forget, I'm in charge here! You work for me, and you'll do what I say!"

Springer squared her shoulders, facing Slapatcha in open defiance. "Hardly. I have never worked for you. I have always worked for myself. It just turned out that our goals intersected with one another. Now they don't. I will be leaving now."

"No, you won't." Slapatcha's hand moved to a button located at the edge of his desk and pushed it. Instantly, he was surrounded by a shimmering energy shield. A second later, from below and above his desk, a translucent plasti-armor slammed into place, sealing him off in every direction. From the edge of his desk, the one pointing toward the door, a number of energy weapon barrels popped into view. All of them pivoted to aim directly at the woman between the desk and the door.

There was no indication of panic in Springer's posture. No reaction whatsoever from the appearance of the weapons, and that they were all pointed at her. Instead her emotionless brown eyes locked on to Slapatcha's own. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Her voice was steady, and the recommendation as casual as a waiter offering a particular wine with a meal.

"But you're not me." Slapatcha pointed out, then hit the button again. The flash from the energy weapons was so bright, he reflexively closed his eyes as flashes of crimson and azure filled the air.

When his eyes opened again, Springer was no longer standing. Even being seated at the desk, her body could be seen lying on the floor, melted in half by the weapons. A different button was pushed, and the weapons retracted into their concealed housing. A moment later, the two types of shields disappeared.

He rose from his desk, walking around the edge to stand next to the body. Emotionless eyes looked down at the melted form.

"Actually, I am, now," he said in a flat voice. "Congratulations on discovering why I'm called Springer."

Moving away from the body that once housed her mind, Springer went back to the desk and used its comlink to order the emergency shuttle to prepare for departure. Losing the old body was inconvenient. She had rather liked it, and it was female, but using Slapatcha's would have its advantages, at least in the near future. And he had brown eyes. It was always annoying when Springer took over a body that didn't have brown eyes to start with, since they always changed to that color when she took over. That was the only side-effect of the body jumping, and one that could not be circumvented. But it was ultimately a minor detail. And Springer had no intention of keeping Slapatcha's body for long. It was too close to the end of its natural lifespan for Springer's taste. Her personal preference was for something in early to mid-twenties, brown-eyed, and definitely female.

Being one of Slapatcha's key aides meant knowing where many of his emergency funds were stashed. It would be a simple matter to move the funds into accounts only Springer knew about, before the inevitable fall of YSC became reality. Also she would be able to go anywhere Slapatcha could, and could use his authority to set up a base of power for the next identity Springer would assume.

It was too bad Slapatcha lacked the sensibility to listen to Springer's advice regarding the Zeiram matter. She had become excited this time around. YSC had been in a position that made taking down the 3WA, and its damned Central Computer, a realistic possibility. But no, the man had been a fool in the end, and another opportunity had been lost as his corporation was about to come apart at the seams.

Still, Springer could afford to be patient. After all, she had all the time in the world.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Anton doubted he'd ever become used to the tremendous thunder produced every time the Chilsean 400 belched out another round. It wasn't as though he could cover his ears with a helmet on, and the sound muffling equipment was being taxed to its fullest. Standing a handful of meters away from the blasts only added to the reverberations pounding on his skull. Zeiram seemed unaffected by the noise as he pumped off another round at some target out of Anton's sight. Truly the creature was meant to be a divine sword of retribution. Nothing could sway it from Anton's course either.

Resistance was unexpectedly stiff. Five times now they had encountered troops that were organized and heavily armed. Zeiram had blown past all of them, of course, but even his durable body had been damaged in each encounter. Luckily he could regenerate from any wound, and he wiped out each group with his superior firepower before they could injure him badly enough to make him stop before they reached their destination.

Such resistance was far more than Anton had anticipated. Either the troops were trained to be the best (unlikely since orbital platforms were not the sort of place where much action took place) or Anton's arrival had been expected. He found it difficult to believe his brother would have anticipated his attack, the man was efficient but unimaginative, meaning someone close to him had successfully guessed where he would strike next. Anton hoped they hadn't the foresight to do anything to the mass driver. Destroying it was unlikely, since it wouldn't be cost efficient. However they might have moved it if they had enough time.

A quick look at the schematics of the platform indicated they were directly outside the chamber that housed the mass driver. That might explain why Zeiram was using so many shots to wipe out the defenders here. This was the last line of defense.

More anxious than before, Anton waited impatiently. There was no longer any return fire in Zeiram's direction, hopefully a sign that the last of the defenders had been finished off. Looking his pawn over, Anton saw that Zeiram had suffered more wounds here than from any of the earlier engagements. He bled from his chest in several areas and a great deal of fluid poured from one of its legs. Even the brim of his head had been nicked by a shot, causing the white face to howl in pain. Now it was silent as both sets of eyes surveyed the scene before them. Satisfied by what it saw, Zeiram moved forward.

Anton breathed a sigh of relief. He went around the corner to see the typical destruction Zeiram left in its wake. It was difficult to judge how many men had been here, since many of the bodies had been reduced to little more than mists of red. More telling injuries had been dealt to the platform itself. Giant gaping wounds had been left in the wall and flooring, forcing Anton to walk carefully to avoid ripping his suit on debris or falling through to the other level.

"Get rid of that gun. It's too powerful, and I don't want to risk damaging the mass driver with a stray shot," Anton ordered.

Zeiram discarded the huge weapon, damaging the floor further. He walked over to a tripod mounted repeating laser that had fallen over in the ensuing chaos, but had miraculously escaped undamaged. Zeiram checked it over, then cradled it in his arm like a normal person would a rifle.

The pair approached a metal door large enough to admit a small tank. Unless someone had changed the schematics, beyond it was the chamber that housed the mass driver. The military had the foresight to have the weapon positioned and primed to hurl explosive projectiles into any enemy that might dare approach, sort of like a primitive cannon. It could only hope to strike the bulkiest and slowest of targets, but it had a large supply of cheap ammunition that, when used in conjunction with a standard load of missiles, could overwhelm an enemy's defense systems. That readiness for action would become useful, though not for the Danube military. Instead, it would spell their downfall.

But first the doors. Zeiram stood with the repeating laser at the ready while Anton went to the door's command pad. When Anton initially overrode the platform's computer system, one of the first set of commands sealed off the chamber the mass driver was housed in to prevent any attempts of sabotage. The pad's memory gave no indication it had been tampered with. Unless someone had been stationed inside the chamber, everything should be as anticipated.

The doors opened with a hiss. Anton remained flush with the wall and out of the line of fire of anyone that might be lurking inside, though by all rights any person who saw Zeiram standing in the doorway, gun at the ready, would fire at him first. Still, there was no sense in taking unnecessary chances.

No gunfire came from within. Zeiram walked into the chamber, waving his weapon back and forth, scanning the room for enemies. After several seconds of Zeiram not shooting at anything, nor anything shooting at him, Anton entered with his hoversled in tow.

The chamber appeared exactly as it did on the schematics, right down to the position of the mass driver, which was already affixed to its turret. For all of Anton's confidence, there had been a niggling doubt that the mass driver would be here and that this had all been a trap. But no. Even if his brother had figured out Anton's destination, he hadn't time to do anything about it, other than alert the local troops. That hadn't been anywhere near enough to outwit Anton's genius. Not even close.

Anton ordered Zeiram to load the Argus Projectile while he hurried to the console and examined the readout on the driver. All the readings indicated everything was normal. He fed preprogrammed coordinates into the weapon, causing it to swivel toward the planet of Danube itself.

To be on the safe side, Anton double checked the coordinates and ran another diagnostic on the mass driver while the projectile loaded. Once more everything indicated it was in readiness. To delay the firing further was pointless. The future was about to begin.

Anton pressed the button. Even behind several inches of metal alloy, he heard the rush of air from the mass driver's tube as oxygen was hurled into space along with the projectile. Hands trembling in trepidation and delight, Anton's eyes remained fixed to the weapon's readout as it tracked the projectile's course through the short distance in space between the platform and the atmosphere. Nothing impeded the projectile's progress as it entered the atmosphere, gaining speed from gravity in addition to the velocity that it had started with courtesy of the mass driver. Even Anton was slightly astonished at how quickly the projectile cut through the atmosphere and into the planet's surface below, shattering tons of rock as it was forced deep into the earth. A quick glance at the readout transmitted from the Argus Projectile indicated it reached far beyond its minimum depth for effectiveness before the bedrock of the planet finally forced the sphere to stop. The instant it stopped moving downward, it released its liquid payload into the rock. And just like that, a planet died.

It was almost anti-climatic.

"Success!" Anton cried. Given the planet's mass, it had a little under an hour's time before the core became unstable and made a rather spectacular explosion that would tear the celestial body apart. The detonation would destroy the orbital platform as well when chunks of the planet were hurled about. A part of Anton wondered if all of the planet would be hurled into deep space, or if some would remain where it was, forming an asteroid belt that would circle endlessly in the path Danube used to occupy.

It mattered little. The first step to galactic revolution and the salvation of humanity's collective soul had been taken. Now all that was left was to steal the mass driver, fly away from the platform, and deliver his ultimatum to the galaxy. He had no doubt there would be resistance at first, but once it became evident he would annihilate anyone that dared to continue embracing those soulless corporate entities, they would change their minds soon enough. And once their eyes were opened and they understood what freedom from those amoral alliances would bring, they would embrace the deliverance Anton would bestow upon them. Truth was obvious to those who were smart enough to realize it.

Anton walked down to where Zeiram waited patiently. He smiled in satisfaction as he stood next to the towering giant. "You'll have to help move the mass driver to the hoversled. We're only going to be taking the main unit and leaving the barrel behind. It'll be easy enough to replace later on. It's the magnetic-gravity balancer and the precision components in the main unit that are damn near impossible to come by."

A sound from the open doorway alerted Anton to the presence of another. He turned and saw a woman dressed in a black body suit and covered in white armor standing in the aperture. A long double-barreled pistol was in her grip, and some sort of brightly colored substance was smeared on her chest.

It took Anton a second to place her face. "Oh yes. I vaguely remember you from the files we received when we first obtained the Zeiram cell samples. You got lucky and actually managed to disable him, with the Myce military helping you. What was your name again?"

"IR...I...A," Zeiram's voice boomed, dragging out the final vowel like a long sigh.

Anton looked at Zeiram in confusion. While it was known the creature understood languages, and been theoretically capable of speech, it had never spoken before, nor shown any desire to. Anton assumed it simply had nothing to say.

Anton shrugged off the odd behavior. He turned to Iria. "I don't care if you're functioning as some corporate stooge or are here for personal reasons, you're in the way of progress, and are about to be run over by it. If you're so eager to die, far be it from me to deny you your wishes. Kill her," he ordered Zeiram.

Zeiram remained motionless.

"I said kill her," Anton said more forcefully this time.

Zeiram's head turned, tilting downward, bringing the brim with the white face lower. Both the cyclopean red eye in Zeiram's trunklike head and the white face embedded in the edge of his 'hat' pierced Anton with their mutual stare.

It was then a moment of epiphany struck Anton, something he had never realized until this moment. Something that chilled him to the core, making him forget even his galactic campaign.

Zeiram wasn't under his control.

Zeiram had never been under his control.

Zeiram had just been playing along, most likely because Anton had been helping Zeiram kill many others humans, just like a Zeiramoid would, save that Anton had far more intelligence and was subsequently more useful. He was content to allow Anton the illusion of control so long as it meant he could kill massive numbers of humans. But now, Zeiram had obtained a device capable of eradicating entire planets, and had proof it worked. He would not be content to allow Anton to choose worlds that would disable YSC or its fellow corporations. He would want to destroy planets with the largest populations because, well, because it was what Zeiram did.

The moment of understanding flashed in an instant, just as quickly as the white head left its housing, lashing out and burying its teeth into Anton's unprotected neck. It ripped out his jugular and a healthy amount of flesh around it. Pain that even his genius intellect had never guessed existed shot through Anton. His hand went reflexively to the wound as the white head retreated back into its housing. Anton fell to the ground, blood pouring through his fingers like a hole in a dam. Awareness left his body.

His life followed seconds later.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Iria watched the death of Anton Scorphious without blinking. She would have killed the mass murdering madman herself, but there was a sort of perverse justice in allowing Zeiram to do it. She hoped the monster enjoyed the indulgence she had allowed him. It was the last life he would ever claim.

"We could take a moment to jaw about the good old days, but they were never really that good between us," Iria said, body tensed.

"IR...I...A," Zeiram repeated.

"That's what I thought you'd say." Deciding that to allow Zeiram one more second on this place of existence was a thousand times more generous that it was entitled to, Iria brought the pistol in her hand up at the same time Zeiram brought the repeating laser in its arms to bear.

Iria shot first as the double barreled mini-missile fired its twin payload, spewing first one, then the other, a second later.

Zeiram leaped over the first shot, displaying stunning agility for a creature its size. Iria had counted on him evading the first missile, and had aimed the second two meters above the first. Zeiram's leap took him right into the shot. The miniature missile detonated, the explosive power blowing a hole through its armored hide. Despite its injury, Zeiram brought the laser up and snapped off thirty crimson shots in the span of a second.

At the same moment Zeiram raised its weapon, Iria tossed the empty missile pistol aside as she launched a second attack, throwing an exploding bolo at Zeiram's weapon as she dodged to the side to evade his fire. It wrapped itself around the barrel even as he began shooting. When the twin weights at the end of the wire impacted with one another, they exploded, destroying the weapon and sending shrapnel into Zeiram.

Iria was quick to follow up as she regained her footing and brought twin pistols to bear. She was about to empty them into Zeiram's body when she heard the sound of movement behind her. Being in a hostile environment, she instinctively ducked behind the mass driver's console for cover as several blue lasers hit where she had been standing a moment before.

Iria risked peering around the edge. She managed a glance at three soldiers, all heavily armed, firing at her position. She was forced to duck behind the console again as they hit the spot where her face had been a second before.

"Keep pouring it on!" she heard one of them cry. These were no run of the mill troops. These men were good shots and had enough sense to keep her pinned down. One of them was most likely trying to flank her while the other two continued firing away.

There was a scream of pain that could be heard over the din of fire. It was an inhuman thing that stopped as soon as it started. The fools. They had been so concerned about her they had missed the fact Zeiram was in the room, or assumed he had been killed in the explosion of his weapon. They had dropped their guard and one of them had paid the price.

Not surprisingly, the gunfire stopped for a moment. Then it restarted in another direction. Iria cautiously poked her head around the corner in time to see the remaining two soldiers collapse from laser beams striking them in the chest. Iria turned to see that Zeiram had grabbed one of the soldiers, ripped him in half, then appropriated the man's laser rifle for his own personal use.

Iria took advantage of the distraction the soldiers had provided by firing both pistols at Zeiram. Small chunks of flesh flew off the monster's body as each shell slammed home. Iria was glad she had chosen piercing rounds rather than standards or explosives, given the damage they were inflicting.

Zeiram's reaction was to roar in pain, then pick up the torso of the man he had ripped in half. She thought he was going to use the corpse for a shield, but then learned otherwise as Zeiram activated one of the grenades on the soldier's belt and threw the torso at her. Iria had just enough time to curse and hurl herself as flat before the explosives went off around her.

The air was filled with smoke from the grenades. Zeiram paused, lacking anything to shoot at for the moment. Then came a small flurry of miniature propellers that burst forth from the cloud and flew toward Zeiram. Unable to dodge them all, he brought his arms together in front of his neck and white face. The propellers he couldn't dodge struck him, detonating on impact. Green ichor flowed from new wounds on his chest, arms, and legs, taxing his regeneration to its upper limit.

The smoke at the far side of the room cleared. Iria stood there as proud and defiant as a statue. Blood flowed from a dozen cuts from her unprotected portions. Luckily for her, the soldier's grenades were low yield stunners and shrapnel rather than high explosives. Powerful explosives rarely worked out well on space borne vehicles for both the person being throw at and the one doing the throwing. The shrapnel had bit into nearly every inch of her body, but none had hit a vital area thanks to her armor.

Rage and anger pumped adrenaline through Iria's veins, allowing her to ignore the pain that was coming in from every part of her body. She drew a glove from one of her pouches. She hit a button on it, stiffening the material, revealing it to have a metallic hide that was as hard as the armor she wore. A number of knuckle spikes lined the exterior as she donned the gauntlet. She then pulled her whip sword out with her other hand, flicking it so it went from its flexible whip state to become a rigid sharp-edged weapon.

"Let's take this up close and personal, shall we? Just like old times."

Zeiram issued a low growl. He reached overhead, behind his back. Iria waited as he pulled out from his body an object that appeared to be sword, one that was the length of his torso. It was organic-looking, and had a number of wicked edges and curves along its surface. If any of the curves dug in, Zeiram's superior strength could probably gut Iria with only a flick of the wrist.

"Even your bones can be used to kill, huh?" Iria asked.

The monster merely repeated her name, as it had done before.

"Let's do it." Iria beckoned him with her finger.

Zeiram charged forward sword raised behind it so it could deliver a blow powerful enough to cut her in half with a single swing.

Iria drew back her sword with one hand, then formed a fist with her gauntlet as she aimed it in Zeiram's direction. The knuckle spikes shot out, all four of them impacting Zeiram in his unprotected torso. He paused in his run, looking down at the tiny pieces of metal that stuck out of his chest. While they had penetrated his skin, they had done little more than cosmetic damage. Then he noticed the tiny wires attached to each of the spikes. Wires that led to Iria's gauntlet. He roared out in anger.

"Sucker." Iria touched a stud on a box like device attached to her belt.

The device was connected to her gauntlet by a wire so slender it was nearly invisible to the naked eye, just like the wires protruding from the knuckles spikes. Five hundred thousand amps shot through the box and into Zeiram, causing it to scream in inhuman pain. The power pack's charge was instantly used up, but it did its job as Zeiram's weapon fell from its limp fingers and it fell to his knees on the ground, motionless from the damage caused to most of its internal organs.

Iria discarded the now useless powerpack and gauntlet. She kept hold of her sword, though, and brought in back in similar manner to how Zeiram had done with his seconds before. "Now you're dead!" she screamed as she charged toward the beast, intent on running her blade through both his faces.

The bounty hunter had covered only half the distance between herself and the monster when she felt something sting the back of her neck. She paused in her charge and brought her hand behind her neck, coming away with a small dart. Since she was facing Zeiram, it was impossible for the shot to have come from it. Iria turned around even as a wave of dizziness overcame her and she fell to her knees.

Iria spotted the shooter as she collapsed on her stomach. "You bastard," she slurred out, feeling as though she had emptied several bottles of Johnny Walker Fuchsia in the span of ten minutes.

"I guess I am," Killgore agreed as he came out of hiding. He discarded the dart gun and pulled his plasma canon from his shoulder, holding it at the ready. Slowly he walked forward, taking his time as he kept the gun aimed at Iria. "I have to hand it to you, frying him from the inside was a good way to take him down."

Iria limply lay on her stomach, having just enough control over her muscles to stare as evilly at her ex-husband as she ever had at Zeiram. Couldn't he at least have had the decency to let her destroy the monster before killing her?

Killgore stood over her, muzzle pointed at her face. "Don't feel embarrassed, Sunshine. It's not like it's the first time you've been lying on your stomach for me. As I recall, it was one of the more kinky positions you used to fancy."

"Go to hell," she slurred, wishing with all her might she could move just enough to kill him. Why hadn't she the sense to rig some kind of pulse detonator, so that if she died, she could have taken her killer with her?

"Someday, probably, but not today." The gun swiveled away from Iria and pointed at Zeiram. Before her muddled mind could process what was going on, it flashed three times. Iria watched in confusion as a trio of large holes formed in Zeiram's chest, knocking him flat and causing him to bellow out in further pain.

"Had to make sure he's disabled. I'd rather not put my faith in just a bit of electricity," Killgore offered in explanation as he stepped over Iria's fallen form and approached the fallen creature.

Words wouldn't come to Iria. Not from the drug coursing through her body, but because of Killgore's actions. Why drug her if he was going to kill Zeiram anyway? It made no sense. He bore no personal grudge against the creature. He should have been content to let her kill the monster, then kill her himself and claim he had dispatched Zeiram and claim the reward. No one would have been able to refute his story.

"Don't die on me yet," Killgore said enigmatically to the monster. He slung his cannon over his shoulder and pulled out a cylindrical object that resembled a high-tech syringe with a computer display on the side to monitor the contents. It was then Iria understood what was happening.

Killgore bent down, attached the syringe to the open wound, and waited a second. He then pulled back, looking at the computer display at the side. "Good." He put the item back in his belt, pulled the cannon from his shoulder once again, then pulled the trigger three times right into the trunk where Zeiram's cyclopean red eye was located. The shots blew the trunk completely apart, severing the mushroom-shaped top from the rest of the body.

"That takes care of that." Killgore turned from the remains and walked over to Iria once more. He patted the syringe at his side. "As you might have guessed, this was the little bonus me and the late Dane were talking about. Zeiram's cells are going to make me wealthier than even I dreamed possible."

"He can't be controlled," Iria insisted.

Killgore shrugged. "It isn't going to stop people from believing they can, though, and as long as they are willing to pay through the nose for it, who am I to complain?"

"You've never changed," Iria growled. As she did so, she became aware of the fact her thoughts were less hazy and her muscles slowly seemed to be coming around. If she could keep Killgore distracted long enough she might have a chance to turn the tables on him. All she needed was time.

All traces of humor left Killgore suddenly as looked sadly down upon his ex-wife. "You know, this is the hardest thing I've ever done. I don't want to kill you, Iria. I really don't. But I can't see any other way around it."

"I could reconsider your earlier offer," Iria suggested.

Killgore shook his head. "Nice try, but you meant what you said, and I don't blame you. I guess I didn't do much to earn your trust. I was serious, though. If you had accepted, I would have worked around all these problems. Hell, I probably would have turned my back on getting the Zeiram cells."

"Spoken like a true romantic," Iria slurred deliberately. Much of her muscle control had returned, and the rate of it was increasing. Another minute, and she might be able to take him. If his guard was down.

"It is for me. I know I can't lie about this anymore. You can see I'm telling the truth, can't you?"

"Yes," Iria admitted. The fact he was stalling on pulling the trigger was proof enough of that. For just a moment, she wondered what life would have been like had he proved a more honest person, and she a little less hot headed, at least when it came to him. That was the problem when passion mixed with betrayal. Some things could never be forgiven, and even lying to oneself was an impossibility.

Killgore suddenly became less pensive and hefted the gun up. He aimed right at Iria's face. "The drug should be wearing off any second now. I know you've been faking how much its affecting you. You're too good to expect anything less. I've been trying to figure some way out for both of us, but nothing's coming to mind."

"Can I say one last thing?" she asked.

The gun never wavered. "Go ahead."

Iria looked upon him with fondness, the first since their meeting each other once again. "I really did love you once. That's why I hope you'll believe me when I say your life depends upon this: look out behind you."

Killgore turned, trying to bring his gun up to fire, but the now flying disc that had been attached to the top of Zeiram's head was too close. All Killgore could do was keep his rifle between it and the dozens of tentacles that had sprouted from the underside of the discus shaped part of the monster.

"God, you're hard to kill!" Killgore shouted as he kept the tentacles at bay. He could see them squeezing around the cannon, but they lacked the strength to crumple the metal. Obviously this remaining part of Zeiram wasn't anywhere near as powerful as the main body. It would be easy to kill, if he could get the barrel of his weapon aimed in the right spot.

Killgore continued fending off the tentacles, trying to formulate a plan. If he could keep it back with one arm, he could free his sidearm and fire into its underside. Surely that was weaker than the exterior part. Or maybe stuff a grenade in it. Or he could-

A blade emerged from his chest, piercing his heart as it drove through his body, killing him instantly.

"You're right. There is no way out for both of us." Iria said, saddened by the necessity of the action. She didn't let her sorrow slow her down as she pulled the blade out and brought it back to impale Zeiram the same way she had her ex-husband.

Zeiram flew out of the sword's range, abandoning its grip on the weapon and flying backward. Iria was quick to pick up the abandoned plasma cannon and tried lifting it. The weapon was terribly heavy, and she was still weakened by the drug. She aimed it as best as she could and fired.

The first shot nearly took Zeiram in its underbelly. The beast changed its pattern, flying on its side and presenting the smallest target profile it could in Iria's direction. Despite its evasive maneuvers and her inability to aim the heavy weapon accurately, she managed to crease its top on a near miss. The white head roared out in pain as the plasma burned away its skin, leaving a trail of blood to fall through the air as it darted around.

Iria growled in triumph at beating the odds and wounding her foe. Her delight was short-lived as Zeiram came in low on its side, parallel to her. She fired again, but the shot missed, and the edge of its disc hit her squarely in the body, sending her flying away from the cannon.

The bounty hunter regained her footing, only to be struck from behind in the back of the knees, nearly breaking her legs as she was thrown in the air and landed hard on her back. This time she was prevented from rising as the underside of Zeiram's top came at her, stopping above her as its tentacles emerged and started to wrap themselves around her body. The white head came out of its protective housing, snarling at her. She barely raised her arm up in time to prevent it from sinking its teeth into her throat. It bit hard into the armor, piercing the metal without breaking a single tooth. It continued trying to exert enough pressure to break through and devour her flesh. As it did so, Iria could feel the rest of it trying to pull her into its remaining body, intent on absorbing her as it did Gren so many years ago.

The action momentarily confused Iria. This was the exact same tactic it had tried during their climatic battle in the Stardust Desert, an attack she had overcome. Worse for it, it had let its head out to attack her, leaving it vulnerable. She had already proved she could concentrate enough to ignore the euphoric effect of the absorption attack, so why was it intent on trying it again?

And then the answer occurred to her. When YSC had secured the Zeiram cells, they had been salvaged from the fight on Myce, not in the desert where the body had been burned to ashes. This Zeiram was unaware that she had defeated him in this manner before.

For the first time since learning of Zeiram's resurrection, Iria truly felt she had the upper hand. By now the tentacles had wrapped themselves around everything below her breasts, but there was one weapon left at her disposal, the exact same one that had administered Zeiram's deathblow before. She reached back in her hair for her concealed bead knife...

...And discovered it wasn't there. She felt through her hair for it, but it was gone, probably falling out somewhere during her many battles on the platform. Now panic overwhelmed her. The cannon was out of reach, she couldn't force her way past the tentacles to get any of her belt weapons, and she could feel the wrist the monster had clamped in its teeth threatening to break under its pressure.

Iria tried punching the white head with her free hand, but her blows were ineffectual. Then she was in too much pain to think as her wrist finally snapped. The creature released its grip, allowing Iria to bring the injured limb out of the fray. But now the head was rearing back, and even if she managed to get her uninjured hand between it and her throat, it would only be a matter of time before it broke that one, then she'd be finished.

The head coiled upward like a snake, preparing to descend again, even as Iria felt more of her body drawn further into Zeiram. Now it was a race against time, either death by absorption or by having her throat ripped out. She wagered the head would win, though she'd go down fighting to the very last instant, like Gren had.

Then Iria saw a flash of movement from behind the white head as something came into view from over the top of Zeiram. A feminine battle cry reached the bounty hunter's ears as the point of a blade suddenly appeared through the mouth of the white head of Zeiram. It couldn't cry out, and instead just writhed in agony as the blade traveled down the length of the neck, all the way down into the creature's brim. All but severed in two, Zeiram gurgled one last death rattle, then fell limply to the ground. Almost instantly the skin withered like a weed pulled from the ground and left under the sun for a day. Iria recognized the sign immediately, having administered such a blow once before.

Zeiram was really and truly dead. This time for good.

Breathing a sigh of relief at the destruction of her foe, and that she would live to see another sunrise, Iria looked up into the face of her savior.

"Geez, I leave you alone for a day, and look at the trouble you get into," Kei jokingly reproached.

"I had to shoot my way through a whole battle station before fighting Zeiram, you know," Iria quipped, despite the pain in her wrist, in her entire body. It was good to see Kei, and not just because she had saved Iria's life.

Kei brandished the weapon she had used to finish off Zeiram. A bead knife. The one a young Kei had lifted off Iria on Daojawan during what felt like a million years ago. The troubleshooter waved it teasingly before Iria. "Now aren't you glad you let me keep this?"

"You could have shot him," Iria contended as Kei helped lift her out from under Zeiram's remains.

"The shot might have gone through and hit you. Hand-to-hand was the only way to make sure you didn't get hurt. Besides, I know that's the way you took him out last time. I thought it would be cool if I did it the same way."

They hefted the disc of the monster off Iria at last. As the bounty hunter's body came into view, Kei managed a better look at her injuries. She winced in sympathetic pain. "Does it hurt?"

"Now that you mention it, yes. Yes it hurts a lot." Iria paused a moment to look at Zeiram's remains. "But it was worth it. It was definitely worth it."

From her position at the door, guarding them from any sneak attacks, Yuri called out, "I hate to break up the mutual admiration society meeting, but Mikael informs me that the planet below us is undergoing a bout of intense volcanic activity, which is a sure sign Argus was delivered before we got here. If we don't get off the platform now, we're going to go up along with the planet, which will be any minute now."

"Shit!" Kei cursed. "I can't believe of all the stupid luck."

"What is it?" Iria asked. " Do you have friends down there?"

""No, that's not it," Yuri said.

"We're going to get blamed for another planet getting destroyed!" Kei completed her partner's line of thinking, one they had engaged in far too often for their liking.

Bob's computerized image suddenly appeared on Iria's wrist communicator. "Unless you want to blow up with the planet, I suggest you get a move on. It's getting really bad down there."

"Let's move it!" Kei cried out as the trio of women headed for the nearest exit as fast as they could.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

It was only ten minutes later that the Kreeper V flew out of the orbital platform's docking bay, the one it had shot its way into. By the time it cleared the bay, the destruction of Danube could be seen easily from orbit. Bright red lines indicated where the planet was coming apart at its tectonic plates. Sensing the imminent destruction, Bob hit the Kreeper V's afterburners, more intent on removing themselves from immediate orbit and risking overheating the ship's primary engines rather than playing it safe and being blown up.

The group was in such a hurry, they failed to notice the one-person snub fighter that left the docking bay just as they began heading into deep space. The fighter ignited its own afterburners, fleeing the platform just as quickly as they did.

Two minutes later, the planet Danube exploded. A sizable section of one of the plates, about half the size of one of its five continents, struck the platform, destroying it instantly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I told you we were going to burn out the primary engines," Yuri said in a singsong voice.

"Better than getting vaped with the planet," Kei countered.

"But we're going to be stuck in deep space for at least five days before we make it back to Xyphos 13."

"We have enough food," Iria assured them as Mikael tended her wounds.

"YV-Rations." Mikael made a face at the prospect of eating the only food stored on the ship.

"I like them," Kei insisted.

"They look like bugs," Yuri said, her face matching Mikael's.

"But they taste like good bugs," Kei countered.

"The first time I met Kei, she ate my entire stock of them," Iria said, able to laugh without discomfort thanks to the painkillers her son had loaded her with.

Kei shrugged. "Hey, I was a street orphan. Sifting through a restaurants garbage was my idea of fine dining."

"So that's where your awful taste in food comes from," Yuri said.

"I got a perfectly fine taste in food."

"I doubt if you can taste much of anything considering how drunk you usually get at any meal."

"You're just jealous because I have a tolerance, unlike you, Miss 'Three Cooler Yuri' ."

"Three Cooler?" Mikael asked.

"It's a nickname she picked up at some of the office parties. It's because she gets drunk on just three wine coolers," Kei teased.

"Better than being known as 'Kei the Kegger'," Yuri teased back.

"I did outdo myself that time," Kei said proudly.

"Sounds like we'll have a lot of stories to share on the long trip back," Mikael said.

Iria considered that. "Speaking of which, since we are going to be in here several days, and this ship is designed for no more than two people, we're going to have to do things in shifts, including using the sleeping compartment."

Kei and Mikael looked at each other. As one they said, "We'll be on the same shift."

Iria shot them a level look. "I think not."

Mikael said, "Oh, so you think I'd be better off sleeping with Yuri?"

"I have no objections," Yuri smiled warmly at him.

"Well I do," Kei said frostily.

Iria looked at everyone reproachfully. "The choice is obvious. The best way to keep problems from arising is if Mikael sleeps at the same time I do."

Mikael rolled his eyes. "No way!"

Iria looked hurt. "You used to sleep in bed with me all the time."

"When I was three!"

"I really don't mind sleeping with Mikael," Kei insisted.

"Which is the problem," Yuri pointed out. "Everyone will have to use the sheets and it's not like they can be washed."

"Who said we'd need the bed for that?" Kei whispered under her breath.

Iria crossed her arms defiantly. "There is no way you two are sleeping in the same bed under my roof at this time."

Mikael sounded as exasperated as a child can be with their parent as he contended, "You know, Kei and I are mature enough to have a platonic relationship."

"Yeah," Kei said in agreement.

"Kei?" Yuri asked.

"Yes?"

"Do you know what platonic means?"

"Ah, no."

"I knew it," Yuri said defiantly.

Iria gave her son speculative glare, "Just because you can say the word doesn't mean you can actually have anything to do with it."

The argument continued on for several hours.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Corporal Adelpha Christophe looked out the canopy of the fighter she was currently flying. She had barely escaped the destruction of her homeworld, which she had witnessed as it exploded mere minutes behind. It was only a combination of luck, speed and skill that enabled her to dart behind Danube's largest moon to evade the shockwave that had traveled through space, destroying everything in its path. Once it had passed, and she ascertained the planet was truly destroyed, she took the only option left for her. There was a small military base stationed on the planet Sevios. It was more an outpost than anything else, but it was the nearest in-system port for her, and they had communication systems that could reach the nearest habitable planet and get a relief force to save them.

Adelpha had no immediate family on Danube, they had emigrated to Neophon last year, luckily. She had lost her friends, but none of them were too close to her. Everyone could sense she wasn't cut out for military service, and resented being in it. That made her standoffish toward her comrades, and barely stomached by any of them. She had been counting the days until her tour of duty was up.

Then came the general alarm and the today's business on the platform. She had been one of the few lucky enough to get her rebreather on in time before the somna gas had knocked out everyone. She had been wandering the corridors, trying to figure out what was going on, when she stumbled on the carnage in mass driver room. She had overheard the tall, handsome man talking to the woman. Then she saw the ensuing fight between them and that weird flying disc with the face on it. She was just about to retreat (it wasn't like it was her fight) when she heard the sound of people coming up behind her. She played dead as the two 3WA agents ran past her and helped kill the weird monster. And she had overheard them talking about the planet about to be destroyed.

Adelpha knew she wasn't capable of saving a planet, it was going to take everything she had to save her skin. She waited until the others left, and was about to head to the docking bay, when she recalled something the big man had said. Taking a chance, she raced into the room, found what she had been looking for, and ran out again, getting to the fighter and taking off just in time.

Leaving the fighter on auto-pilot, Adelpha removed the object from her pocket and looked it over. The small cylinder with these 'Zeiram cells' was the key to making Adelpha rich. It was only a matter of finding someone interested in them and selling them, then she'd be set for life.

It seemed every cloud really did have a silver lining.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Endnotes

Wow! It's finished. Who would have thought it would take, oh, what was it? Five years or so to finish this story. Sorry it took me so long, but I kept at it until what you have here is the end. Thanks to all those who stuck with it to the end. I really appreciate it.


End file.
